The Program
by Broken Blade
Summary: After her mother is taken hostage, Rosie escapes to Louisiana to stay with Major Mason and his lovely daughter, Carter. When hell breaks loose, an ex-soldier must rise to protect them and end Kane's reign of terror. Hearts and lives hang in the balance.
1. Chapter 1: Awake but Dreaming

Chapter 1

The young girl, as oblivious to the world in sleep as she was awake, began to stir from a nightmare she could not quite recall. In life, she was Princess Rosalinda Maria Montoya Fiore, but in the land of her most frightening dreams she was just a lost and scared little girl, always falling tragically into the clutches of evil.

She remembered running through an ethereal wasteland, her would-be captors pursuing her to the brink of the great Nothingness. There was a tragic fall, a near plummet into deep and eternal oblivion. The strong, sure arms surrounded her, retrieving her from the freezing depths, holding her close to a warm, rhythmic bosom. Porcelain skin upon her face, the sweet push of soft lips.

It was no longer a nightmare.

"Time to wake up, my dear," her mother's soothing voice roused her. She awoke thankfully in her bed surrounded by Egyptian cotton sheets, wrapped comfortably in pink silk pajamas. In moments the dream was all but forgotten as more pressing thoughts filled her head. It was time again for another day to start anew.

Her eyelids cracked open in time to see her mother glide across the room in her always angelic manner and sweep open the curtains that masked the sunlight pouring in through the ten-foot tall glass double doors. Golden, shimmering light poured in, filling the room and chasing away the darkness.

How lucky for one so young to call paradise home.

Miles out, azure blue waves lapped at white, sandy shores and the salty sea air blew in from the coast, filling the room with the slightest breeze. The air brought with it all the warmth of the sun and the young girl was glad that it was such a lovely day. Fearsome storms had been projected to blow in from the west, but come as they may, at least they weren't upon her yet.

"Come join me for breakfast when you're dressed."

"Yes, mother," Rosie replied, rising from her bed and walking to the balcony. The coastal half of Costa Luna could be seen from her very bedroom, and each morning she took note to gaze out upon the land and the people that she would one day be responsible for.

Outside, bathed in sunlight, she could hardly imagine the reality of how small her country was. The vast expanse around her seemed insurmountable, but in reality it was just a small island lost and on its own in such a large and unforgiving world, not unlike she herself. She would protect it, however-the best that she could-and that would start with becoming queen.

She loved her home and country dearly, and yet-deep inside-she had always yearned to leave. There was such a large world beyond her own and because Costa Luna was so small and kept to itself, she had been largely protected from it all of her young life.

"Love you, sweetheart," her mother told her as she left, closing the door behind her.

Rosie smiled and left the amazing view. She walked to her closet to lose herself inside. She was already wondering what she would be wearing for her coronation. At the moment, however, she needed only to dream of what was in store for today.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another hemisphere-just north a bit-Major Joe Mason's home and bait shop were located in rural Lake Monroe, Louisiana. When he wasn't traveling the globe on assignment, it was where he liked to hang his hat and do his best to raise his sixteen year old daughter, Carter.

Carter Mason was young, lovely, and headstrong. A tomboy on the outside to deal with a tough and unfair world, within she was an insecure dreamer trying to juggle a social life where she didn't fit in and a home life with a father that so often wasn't there. It often infuriated her the way her father showed such apathy in the face of her concerns, but she loved him more than anything else in the world and wanted to do the best she could for him.

It was the sound of his fitful sleep that awoke her that morning amidst the dying chirps of crickets and the rising songs of the birds outside. It didn't happen often, but when it did, it was usually enough to cause her concern.

The gentle light of early dawn cut through the blurred vision of her freshly cracked eyelids. Fighting the stiffness in her limbs, she pulled herself up and sat swaying for just an instant. Still in that place where it was entirely possible that she could still be dreaming, she waited for reality to come to her, for a wrong move now could mean the difference between walking and falling.

Though she knew in her mind that he was fine, she still hurried from bed and made her way quickly to his room. Entering, she saw the thick sheen of sweat that covered his forehead and the severe furrow of his brow as he gasped for air.

"Dad! Wake up! Dad!" she said as she shook him.

His eyes popped open and he was suddenly still. They darted around in his skull, appraising his environment to assure that it was genuine. Apparently satisfied that he was safe, his body went slack and his head hit the pillow. A heavy sigh escaped him.

"Thanks, honey. But I told you, you don't have to wake me every time. I'll be okay."

"You woke me up. I couldn't just let you go on like that."

"I woke you? I'm sorry, Carter. What time is it?"

"Time to get up. I'll put on some coffee."

She closed the door behind her and went into the kitchen. As she set about her morning tasks she found herself wondering-as she had many times before-what his nightmare had been about. It was some terrifying remnant left over from his days in the military, of that much she was certain. He never talked about those days, but she figured something awful must have happened to have left him with such nightmares so many years later.

Moments later he emerged a new man. He was dressed simply enough in jeans and a t-shirt, his usual business attire for a day of working at the bait shop.

"Morning, kiddo," he greeted.

"Morning," she said, though half-heartedly. As usual, he didn't pick up on it. He walked to the window and looked out at the lake.

"Looks like a nice day out there."

"News said there might be rain."

"That's fine, fishing will be good."

"Breakfast?"

He shook his head. "Just coffee."

She poured a cup and he took it at the window. Typical for mornings after bad dreams. He didn't want to look her in the eyes, though she didn't know why.

She didn't like it when he didn't eat, but she didn't want to press it that morning. There was a sense of dread about that she couldn't understand, as if something bad was just waiting to happen. She took her cereal dry with milk on the side, not very hungry but knowing she'd feel worse if she didn't eat.

"Did you finish your homework?"

"Yeah. I figured out that geography part I needed help with."

Mason drug his hands down his face. "Carter, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot last night."

"It's okay, you were tired. Besides, I said I figured it out."

"But still-"

That's when it happened. What Carter had been waiting for to break the tension inside of her-the distinctive ring emanating from the very special phone in his office. Somehow she knew that was what the whole morning had been leading up to. Essentially, it's what she was always waiting for when he came home. Before long she knew there would always be another stupid call to take him away again.

"Carter-"

"Just get it."

"We'll talk in a minute."

"I've got to get out to the shack."

"What about a ride?"

"Donny's giving me a lift for free bait, remember? I'll see you after school…maybe."

She could see he wanted to say more, but the phone in his office wouldn't stop ringing until he picked up. He was on call and he had a job to do, so without saying anything else he left her in the kitchen alone.

That terrible cramping pain rose up in her throat as she tried not to cry. If her father heard her whimpering now she'd never get the end of it, so she quickly washed out her dishes, grabbed her bag, and walked out the door-pausing to lean against the side of the house. There she let the tears escape her in short, stunted sobs.

For so long, loneliness was all she had felt.

Best get used to it, she thought, it's not going to get any better.

Now feeling fortified, she wiped away the tears, took a deep breath, and started the day.

* * *

"Yes, sir. No, sir. I can be ready to ship out by fourteen-hundred. Colonel, sir, that's-I wasn't aware. I'm generally sent out alone, sir. I see. Of course. I didn't mean-yes, sir. All right, sir. I'm sure we'll get along just fine. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

Joe Mason dropped the phone back into its cradle and covered his face with his hands. So early in the morning and he already wanted the day over with. Carter was going to hate him. After the episode in the kitchen, now he had to tell her he was leaving on another assignment. It was a simple guard dog task, but it was still taking him away from home. Home was where he needed to be right now, but his duty came first.

_Family should be top priority_, he thought as he leaned back in his office chair.

He chastised himself for being so often gone. He barely even knew his own daughter. He'd missed her sixteenth birthday and hated himself for weeks. She was a tomboy at heart, he knew, but there was more to it than that. Something, if not him, was affecting her at a very deep level. She had no friends to speak of, spent all of her time alone, and rarely cracked a smile these days. What kind of life was that for a young girl? And was it because of him?

To top it off, he had a new problem. He was already familiar with the royal family he was being sent to guard, but now he had to prep a late arrival. He hadn't had a partner in years, didn't think he'd ever have one again. Who was this young gun and why was the Colonel bringing him in?

Putting those thoughts aside, he arose and opened the door to a small closet. Inside there were uniforms and other various implements for his operations. He retrieved a large luggage bag and laid it on his desk.

He wondered if Carter would ever forgive him.


	2. Chapter 2: Puppet Show

Chapter 2

Dead, gray light filtered in through the slats in the blinds. It was the kind of cold illumination that choked out all hope as it accentuated the dense pallor of gloom pervading the apartment. Orin Traverse sat watching the dust particles dance in the light just beyond his reach. The glowing cherry on the end of his cigarette was the only color amidst the monochrome landscape, bursting to fiery life every time he raised the filter to his lips. The blue-gray smoke could have been his soul being expunged from his body in turbulent waves.

He felt empty.

The pistol rested beside him on the couch-a black Sig P220 Elite. The blaster had been with him through so much, the tactile nubs on the custom rubber grips worn down from years of use. The magazine release had been replaced twice, the sights-God only knows how many times. It had gone through two trigger jobs and more magazines than could be imagined, but the gun itself functioned now even more flawlessly than the day it had met his hand.

For its final purpose, however, he needed it now to perform only once more without fail. It would be the gun they would find beside him, and-Lord willing-the one thing left he owned that he would be buried with. Again, he checked the magazine. Fully loaded. Not that he would need it, but it just seemed fitting. He only wished he would be able to fire more than once, because of all the lives he'd taken, he couldn't imagine anyone but himself more worthy of the weapon's deadly payload.

After all the places he'd been, all the battles he'd seen, he'd begun to think of Hell as a war zone. An eternal war in which he would never find respite for the things he'd done. He wasn't entirely sure if he still believed, but he held out hope for darkness, a darkness so silent and deep he could become lost in it and never think about life or the world ever again. He thought he'd found that in the bottle of golden rye sitting on the table before him, but it had only made things worse.

He wrapped his hand around the grip of the pistol and looked at it, running his fingers along its grooves and ridges as he would a delicate woman. He felt he could finally do it.

Was there anything left to take care of?

A knock on the door, so loud it sounded like a gunshot.

It broke him from his stupor and for a moment he wondered if the gun had gone off. Who would be calling now? He'd just paid up his rent, and no one in the world even knew he was there. He had amassed plenty of enemies though, and wish for death as he did, he'd be damned if he'd get his at the hands of one of those bastards.

He gripped the gun tighter.

"Who is it?"

"Tuck it in your pants and open the door, Captain," came a gruff voice, muffled by the barrier between.

For a moment Orin wasn't sure what the old man was talking about, his gun or his prick. He didn't want to see the guy, but wasn't about to let him stand in the hall and sure as hell wasn't about to piss him off.

"Shit," he profaned under his breath, then called out, "it's open."

The door swung open and in stepped the old war horse himself, his Colonel, a man by the name of Campbell.

"Nobody's called me Captain in a long time."

"Doesn't look like anybody's called you anything but a bum in a long time," the Colonel said, closing the door.

"Yeah, nice to see you again, too, sir."

The apartment was, by any stretch, nearly immaculate. Orin didn't own too many things anymore and had always been very clean and organized. But there was a stench about the place, a musk that built up when a person spent a lot of time in a closed up space. He wondered if Colonel Campbell could smell the shame emanating from his pores.

"Smells like a foxhole in here."

That answered that question.

The old man looked down the at the pistol and the bottle of whiskey that sat on the table before Orin. A grimace of disgust and sadness crossed his features only for a moment, then it was back to that old stony gaze that said he didn't give a shit.

"Aren't you going to ask why I'm here?"

"I think I know."

"And?"

"Save it. I'm not interested."

"You think I want to see you like this?"

"Like what? You don't drink with your gun?"

The Colonel sighed. "I'm sorry, Orin. I'm sorry I failed you. I know you have to blame me for what you've become, for what we did to you. The Program-"

"Don't talk to me about the Program. It's done, it's over. It was fucked but it isn't fucking anybody anymore, so drop it. You may have made me, but I chose this."

"Nice choice."

"It's something."

"It's garbage."

"Look, I didn't want that life anymore, all right? Can't we drop it at that?"

"We could if it were true, but I know you. I trained you, I turned you into a hero."

"You turned me into an assassin."

"The difference is negligible."

"To you."

"To the people we've saved. The countries we've helped."

"We haven't helped anyone. The cycle of violence continues no matter what you do. In all the time I spent working I never once saw any terrible situation go away-through any action. The more things change the more they stay the same. We just altered the scenery."

The Colonel looked at Orin like he was an alien being from some distant planet-like he was someone he'd never seen before. After a moment he walked into the kitchen and opened the pantry.

"Make yourself at home," Orin said, trying to convey his irritation. He was well aware of what was happening, however, as well as the futility of trying to talk sense into a brick wall.

When the man returned, he was holding Orin's bolt action rifle.

"Not many people keep a rifle in their kitchen."

"Some do."

"You do. And don't think I don't know you keep a 1911 cocked and locked on the top shelf. Where's your shotgun?"

"Under my bed, right next to my M4. What's your point?"

The Colonel tossed the rifle into Orin's hands.

"Tell me you don't take apart and clean those guns at least once everyday? Tell me you don't still practice, that you don't view every person on the street as a potential adversary."

"That doesn't mean anything. It's what people like me do. If I'm not drinking or jerking off I'm messing with my guns. I don't have anything else. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Anything."

"Like what?"

"You could go out, get a job, have a normal life."

Orin lost his temper and yelled out. "I'm not looking for a normal life!" Struck by his own words, he went silent and still. In a matter of minutes the Colonel had managed to tear apart Orin's entire existence.

"You're a real bastard," he said.

"Never claimed to be otherwise. Now look, as the man who was once your superior, I've got an assignment to offer. As your friend, I'm asking you to really consider it. I think I've earned the right to state my case."

"It's a dangerous thing to proclaim to know what you've earned. But go ahead, make your pitch. I'll listen, but I'm not promising anything else."

It wasn't until then that Orin noticed the large manila envelope tucked under the Colonel's arm. He laid it upon the table in front of Orin, who reluctantly leaned forward and went about its contents while the Colonel talked.

"This is…different," Orin remarked upon finishing the dossier.

"I know, that's why I thought you might be interested."

"Why on earth would I be interested in this? This isn't an assignment. This is…punishment. This is what you get when you're demoted."

"No, it's a way to get back in the game, to finish out your time. You still owe your country."

"Don't you dare tell me what I owe my country."

"Then you owe me. I put my neck on the line for you, and you bailed. I know you were beat up, I know you were broken. Hell, I would've done the same thing. No bullshit, Orin. I don't want you to sit here and waste away. A part of me sees you as an asset, I can't lie about that. But another part of me sees the greatest soldier-the greatest warrior-I've ever known. You can still do so much good, and it can start here."

"You know, you're technically talking to a freelancer now."

"I understand. We're hiring you for a job, and you can expect payment. Five thousand dollars for a week of work, that's not bad."

"And no killing?"

"I can't make any guarantees. It's peaceful region, but you know how things go when power is involved. You're still a soldier, and there's always a chance someone might be looking to make trouble. That's why I want you there."

"Then the price is ten thousand. Rent's coming up and I want a new toy."

"Fine, if that's what it'll take. This job's as simple as it gets, and if you do this and you still want out…you've got it. You'll never see me again."

Orin had to consider. He trusted Campbell, but he also knew better than to believe all this simple job bullshit. Things were never simple in the world he came from. Still, the prospect of action caused the slightest of tremors in his hands. He swallowed hard…he'd begun to salivate.

"If I did it I'd do it for you. I don't need it, and I don't need your bullshit, but you were a friend to me once."

"I'd be thankful, I truly would."

"And then we're square."

"Even split. Right down the middle."

"And I do whatever the hell I want afterwards. If I feel like crawling into a closet to die you'd better open the door for me then walk away."

"You're a stubborn son of a bitch, Orin. If this is how you want to live your life, you can come right back to it. One last job, that's all I'm asking."

Orin was terrified of going back out into the world. He hated the thought. But how could he go on living the way he did. Even more terrifying was the thought that the life he left behind might just be the only life he could live.

There was only one way to find out.

He looked to his gun on the table, then to Campbell.

"When do I ship out?"

* * *

Carter was still seething with anger by the time she got to school…on foot.

Donnie had shown up that morning at the agreed upon time, slipping into the bait shack while she put buckets on the shelf. He had slipped his hands around her waist before bringing them up to cup her small breasts, using them to knead her tender flesh.

"Donnie! Stop! That's not part of the deal."

"Relax," he told her.

She couldn't explain the feelings inside her. A part of her was thrilled at the sensation of his hands upon her body, and yet another part hated the fact that he was touching her without any real feeling.

"Besides, you better be nice if you want me to hold up my end."

He had spun her around to look into his striking eyes. They were the eyes her female classmates wrote mushy poems about in their notebooks during algebra. He was the dreamiest guy in school, without a doubt. Carter had become a seasoned veteran of wishful gazing. It had always been from afar, however, until just recently.

She was finally close enough to get lost in those eyes.

"So…where do we do this?"

Ten seconds later she had him in the back of the shack, her knees aching against the dirty wood floor. Her lips worked awkwardly against him, but from his moans she didn't think it mattered. It was her first time and took longer than she'd been made to believe, but still not long. When it was over she struggled to feel something other than numbness and relief. She thought that she should have felt guilty, but guilt was nowhere to be found. The closest thing to it was disgust.

She was rinsing out her mouth and opened the door to the back of the shop to spit when she heard the revving of his engine. She rushed out just in time to see him peeling out with Brooke and Chelsea in his convertible.

If only she'd seen them, Carter would have known something was up, but she was stupid. Stupid slutty bait girl, always getting what she deserves.

She heard the bell ring as soon as she entered the doors. She'd have to answer for missing first period, but she didn't care. At the moment she found it hard to believe she'd ever care about much again. It just didn't seem worth the effort. By the time she reached her locker to get her books for second period, the hallway was clear once again and she knew she was going to be late.

"Missed you in French."

Carter's blood heated at the sound of the sneering voice. She spun around and came face to face with Chelsea. In the fantastic world of Carter's mind, Chelsea was an archrival of sorts in a battle going back years. They were once friends, before Chelsea learned that Carter lived below her baseline criteria for wealth and privilege. Stunningly beautiful, though lacking in poise, she was the most popular girl at Lake Monroe High School, and she often put Carter to shame in more ways than one.

"You went to French class?" Carter asked, goading Chelsea and trying to win back at least some small modicum of dignity.

"Of course," Chelsea said, taking a step forward and forcing Carter's back against her locker, "you should know it's my favorite subject."

Her strawberry scented breath washed down over Carter, forcing goosebumps to rise on her arms. They were close enough that she could almost feel the heat radiating off of Chelsea's flawless skin. She was speaking of something Carter didn't like to think about.

"Shut up," Carter said, though without conviction.

"Or what?" Chelsea challenged.

"What do you want?"

"Your notes for Algebra."

Carter tried to resist. "I need them."

"Come on," Chelsea smirked. "You've got it after lunch, I'll get them back to you. Maybe we can meet up in the janitor's closet like last time."

Carter's throat tightened. There were only two things she wanted at the moment. One was to run, the other was…

She pulled her notebook from her backpack and thrust it into Chelsea's arms.

"Just get it back to me," she said and ran off, followed by the sound of the other girl's laughter.

In another carbon copy hallway all alone, Carter leaned against the cold metal of the lockers and breathed deeply. In a moment the infinitely stretching corridor shrunk back upon itself and she felt as though she'd just returned from a trip to another planet. She didn't understand the things she was feeling, couldn't fully grasp the concept of her own ambivalence. The world was a strange and confusing place.

She knew she needed to get to class, but for another few moments she just stood there and listened to her heart beating.


	3. Chapter 3: Paradise Found

Chapter 3

Orin Traverse sat quietly in the seat of the private jet, transfixed by the beauty outside his window. They had flown for several hours over a crystalline expanse of pure blue ocean, and were now growing close to their destination. Miles below, picturesque beaches of sugar white sand and emerald green palm trees passed by.

On approach, Orin was unsure of which island in the vast chain was home to the nation of Costa Luna. He double checked his map, and was impressed that such a small country had managed to maintain sovereignty amidst such an oppressive territory. Political tensions ran high all over the world, and this area was no different. Tropical landscapes and lush coastal villas were nothing more than a sugar coating over civil warring and unstable governments.

"Another false paradise," Orin said out loud, dismayed by the sad reality of things.

The jet touched down in a tiny airfield on the eastern tip of the island. He saw no evidence of a commercial airport, and assumed that commercial flights had to be taken from the mainland. The first thing that hit him was the amazing freshness of the air. He'd tasted air like it before, but he'd been in the city for so long it was a shock to his system. He stretched and looked out at the sapphire blue water. It was gorgeous, and there wasn't nearly enough time to enjoy it.

From the airfield he was shuttled onto an awaiting helicopter and flown inland. Eventually they reached a massive, sprawling villa capped by a mansion so ostentatious it may as well have been a castle. Swinging around the front side, Orin took in the sprawling front yard adorned with a shimmering blue fountain and meticulously kept hedges cut into various abstract shapes. Upon the front of the building hung two flags bearing the national colors of Costa Luna in blue and yellow stripes. This would be their final stop.

On the southern side of the mansion there was a helipad, reserved for the royal family. This is where they landed. Orin stepped out under the dying whir of the chopper blades to be greeted by his contact.

"Orin Traverse?" Major Mason asked in awe.

"Shit," Orin mumbled under his breath. He put on his most agreeable face and approached the man.

"Corporal Mason."

"It's Major, now. It's been a long time."

"Yes, sir, it sure has."

"You still a Sergeant?"

"Captain, actually."

"Well, Captain. It's nice to see you again. Come this way and we'll get you settled in."

Orin followed Mason off the helipad and down the path toward the mansion.

"We'll have to find a uniform for you."

Orin looked over at Mason's crisp and ironed cornflower blue uniform, complete with officer's cutlass and gold trimmed epaulets. The patches on the shoulders indicated it was the official uniform of the royal security of Costa Luna. He must have looked out of place in his blue jeans and worn leather jacket.

"Actually, sir, I'll be staying in plain clothes. I'm just here for some added standby security, strictly under the radar."

"Oh. I wasn't made fully aware of the scope of your assignment here."

"Yeah, that's how it normally goes down in this business. Colonel Campbell didn't tell you anything?"

"Only that he was bringing in another agent and to show utmost courtesy and respect."

"So you were informed that I don't officially answer to anyone."

"That's right. In fact, I was told that in an emergency you outrank me. I was also told by the Director that you were here to help."  
"Director? Oh, yeah. The babysitter's club," Orin said. He regretted his words immediately. He'd come such a long way, he didn't want to start off being snide and sarcastic.

"You don't like this work?" Mason asked.

"I apologize, Major. It's not like that. I just…I was pulled away from something important for this. I don't mean to be unpleasant."

Mason cracked a smile. "That's okay, Captain. I don't remember you being very chipper before, either."

They arrived at the mansion and entered through the doors to the back deck, just above an enormous in-ground swimming pool.

"This is quite a place," said Orin.

"Yes it is. Can't ask for a better assignment. I just wish it was for a little bit longer and my daughter were here."

"Your daughter. My God, I remember. How old is she now? Carter, right?"

"You remember Carter?"

"I've got a pretty good memory."

"She's sixteen now. Pretty as can be. Here, hold on a sec. We're not generally supposed to have personal possessions on us, but things are a little more lax around here."

Mason reached into his breast pocket and produced a picture of his daughter. The photo was taken against a backdrop of Lake Monroe, not a school photo. Her back was to the water, her hair held frozen in place by some unseen breeze. The girl had a strong, tomboyish air about her, yet Orin was taken by her soft and lovely looks.

"You've got a beautiful daughter, sir. Will I have quarters on the grounds?"

"Yes. You and I have been given guest rooms upstairs. You can unpack later. I was instructed to bring you to the open court to meet Queen Sophia and the Princess."

"Is that entirely necessary, sir?"

"Well, the Queen likes to know who's protecting herself and her daughter. She personally screens all special personnel on the grounds. Is there a problem?"

"No. It's just that I'll be here such a short time and to tell you the truth I'm not very good with royalty."

"They're incredibly kind and approachable, Captain, I promise. This way."

Orin was led to the center of the enormous dwelling, an open roof area with a wraparound balcony supported by massive arches wrapped in blue drapes and an elegant red carpet leading up a selection of steps to an honest to God throne. Now, without a doubt, Orin knew he was out of his element.

There was a doorway to the side through which stepped an elegantly dressed woman and a young girl. Orin recognized them immediately from the photos in his dossier. He just hoped he wouldn't have to recite their whole names.

"Queen Sophia," Mason spoke, "this is Captain Orin Traverse, the new addition to security."

Orin was caught off guard and unaware of what to do. He nodded his head before awkwardly bending into an impromptu bow. He heard the young princess stifle a giggle and quickly returned to attention.

"Hello, your majesty."

The woman smiled. "Welcome to our home, Captain Traverse. It is an honor to have you."

"It's an honor to be here, ma'am."

"Will you be joining our security team long term?"

"No, ma'am. Just until the coronation of Princess Rosalinda."

Rosalinda blushed slightly and held out her hand. "You know my name, and I have only just learned yours."

Orin gently took the girl's hand in his own. She was a lovely sight to behold. Her picture hardly did her justice. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd had any human contact, and now skin upon skin felt strange and foreign to him.

"It's nice to meet you, Princess."

"It is nice to meet you, as well. You look very young, Captain Traverse. How old are you?"

"Well, I…uh," Orin stuttered.

"Now, now, Rosalinda. I'm sure the Captain is very tired after his long trip. We shall speak the evening. My schedule is clear tonight, Major. I would like to extend an invitation for you and Captain Traverse to join us for dinner."

"It would be an honor," Mason accepted.

"Then we will leave you to show the Captain to his room."

The four parted ways and Mason led Orin through a series of enormous hallways until finally they reached his quarters.

"Major. I don't want to be disrespectful, but it has been a very long trip. I'm not sure if dinner with the queen is the best idea for me at the moment. I'd really rather just get settled in tonight. That won't be offensive, will it?"

"Of course not. I'll inform Queen Sophia that you're not feeling well. Have a good night, Captain," Mason said. He turned to leave, then hesitated and turned back. "Oh, one more thing. What Rosalinda said, you looked young when I met you, though you look like you've aged about a hundred years since then. May I ask, exactly how old are you?"

"Uh, Major, the protocols of the Program…"

"I'm sorry, I remember now. Forget I asked."

With that, the Major turned and left.

* * *

"Good evening, Major. Please, sit down," Queen Sophia said as Mason approached the large oblong dining table in the personal dining room. There was a much larger banquet hall elsewhere in the building for entertaining subjects and foreign dignitaries, but this room was for the queen, her daughter, and their closest guests.

"Good evening, your majesty." He turned to Rosalinda. "Princess."

"Where is Captain Traverse?"

"I'm afraid Orin isn't feeling well tonight, ma'am. He was going to join us out of respect, but I assured him that it was understandable for him to rest."

"Is he ill?" Rosalinda asked.

"I'm sure he's fine, just tired."

"He seems a very well-mannered young man," said Queen Sofia. "I am pleased he's with us, but he did seem…troubled. Is everything okay, Major?"

"Hmm? Everything's fine."

"I understand he is not officially with your agency. What branch of your armed forces may I ask is he a part of?"

"I'm really not at liberty to discuss anything like that. Rest assured, I worked with him many years ago and he is a consummate professional."

"Well then I suppose I shouldn't worry."

Dinner passed quietly for the three. Minor conversation was made, and Rosalinda once again took notice of how her mother and Major Mason stole looks at one another. The Major had been assigned to their family more than a year ago when General Kane's army had begun threatening their borders. He was usually summoned for high profile public appearances or to escort them during trips abroad. It was obvious that he and her mother had become friends.

Many times she found her thoughts turning to Orin. All the strange details only furthered her curiosity.

"May I be excused?" Rosalinda asked before dessert was served.

"Of course, dear. Are you feeling well?"

"It's the rehearsals. I'm going to turn in early. If it's okay, I think we should have something sent up to the captain's room."

Mason nodded. "I'm sure he would appreciate that, Princess."

Once Rosalinda was gone, Sophia sighed with unease. "I'm so worried about her, Joseph. She's still so young for such a large responsibility."

"Don't worry, Sophia. She'll have you to guide her. She'll make an amazing queen…just like her mother."

Mason placed his hand on Sophia's. The two looked at one another and smiled.

* * *

Orin was sitting in his room contemplating the prospects of his life after the mission. The deep silence was only broken by the dry sound of metal upon metal as he sat at a small desk to one side, cleaning his sidearm-a Nighthawk Custom 1911. He'd considered bringing his Sig, but opted instead to leave it in storage with the rest of his things, as he no longer had an apartment to go back to. There had been no one to say good-bye to, and he'd merely slipped his final month's rent check under the door of his landlord's office.

A large duffel bag sat in the corner. It contained just what was needed for the mission, and that was nearly everything he owned. There was money, of course, in various accounts. Numbered remnants of a lifelong past-but what of the future? He knew this couldn't be the end. Even if there was no catch and he could walk away from there in a few days' time, Campbell would have one more little thing, Orin knew. There would always be one more.

A knock on the door broke him from his thoughts. He instinctively expected danger, his body tensing for instant reaction. It was a response conditioned from old days of constant training. It reminded him of when he used to fall asleep running or doing pushups during hell week and the nervous jitters he had when he finally did get to sleep in a bed.

"Yes?" he called out. Surely he had no need to be paranoid there, but a good soldier was always careful.

A voice, thickly accented yet speaking perfect English, came through the door. "Dinner, sir. I was instructed to deliver it to you. The Queen and her daughter hope that you are feeling better."

Orin covered his weapon with a cleaning cloth before he rose and opened the door. An olive skinned man stood behind a serving cart topped with a silver dome cover polished to a mirror finish. He wheeled it inside and removed the cover, revealing a wondrous smelling entrée.

"Dinner tonight is glazed pheasant over jasmine rice with our island's freshest vegetables-seasoned, of course, most appreciated by a refined palette."

Orin had been away from people for a while, but he knew a veiled offense when he heard it. The man was implying that Orin was unfit for a meal meant for royalty. He'd been called a barbarian before, just not quite so elegantly.

"It looks wonderful."

"Dessert will be brought after the meal. It will consist of-"

"I think I'll skip dessert tonight. Thank you for your kindness," Orin said. He had some spending cash on him, so he produced a twenty dollar bill and offered it to the man. He wasn't sure of the conversion rate on the island, but judging by the way the servant crumpled the bill and stuffed it in his pocket, Orin was betting American paper was practically worthless there.

The man sat the dome cover on the second shelf of the cart and left without saying anything further. Orin looked at the food, his natural paranoia kicking in. There was no reason to suspect any danger. No one even knew that he was there, and surely no one would think he was worth killing. If something bad was indeed in the works, death by glazed pheasant would only serve to tip off the Queen's security. Still, he should have had the server taste the meal before he left, as strange as it would have seemed.

Technically, any number of poisons could kill with only a bite, but after sniffing the platter thoroughly, he took a bite of the pheasant and let the meal sit. He didn't die instantly, but he would wait a while before finally letting his stupid suspicion go.

Again, a knock sounded at the door. Had the server forgotten something? No, it was a different knock, softer.

"Yes?"

"Captain? May I enter?"

The voice shocked him. It was delicate, female. Not the voice of a woman, the voice of a girl. Orin opened the door quickly, afraid something was wrong. He should have reassembled his gun immediately.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, looking down the hallway.

"I…I, um…"

He eyed the girl, slowly letting his guard down. "Nothing's wrong?"

Rosalinda lowered her head. "I apologize. You do not wish to be disturbed."

"No, it's fine, Princess. I was just surprised," Orin told her. It was incredibly strange to see her. He wondered what it meant. "What can I do for you?"

"I came to talk," she said.

"Talk?"

The princess lifted her head and spoke with her born and bred sense of authority. "I mean, I wish to speak with you."

She stepped into the room and Orin was practically forced back. He hesitated first, then decided to close the door. He had a feeling she didn't want to be seen in the hall. He wondered what kind of trouble would come down on him if someone knew the princess was alone with a stranger in his room.

The girl looked at the uneaten meal. "Is the food not to your liking?" She asked.

"It's delicious, I just…What did you want to speak with me about?"

"You are new here, and a guest. I wanted to welcome you to our country."

"Oh, well, thank you. It's amazingly beautiful. I was looking out the window a moment ago, I haven't seen so many stars in a long time."

"The stars do not shine where you are from?"

"I live near a city."

"You cannot see over the buildings?"

Orin couldn't help but smile slightly. "It's called light pollution, or ambient light," he explained. "Surrounding lights in urban areas diffuse through the air and lower visibility in the atmosphere."

"Costa Luna has a large central city, but I have never been there at night. I did visit the capital city of San Esperito once, but was I very young. I do not remember the nights."

"I've been to San Esperito."

"You have?" she asked, sitting down upon his bed.

Mirroring her attempt at comfort, Orin leaned against the wall. "Sure, on assignment a long time ago. I've been all over the world. Africa, China, you name it."

"Protecting royal families, like us?"

"Um, I did some security work, yes."

The girl looked over at the desk and spotted the silhouette of his Nighthawk under the cloth. "You have a gun?"

"Yes, a sidearm."

"Major Mason does not carry one."

"I'm sure he has his reasons."

"We only have two riflemen at the front gates. Our house guards do not carry such weapons. We are not a violent country."

"Violence is a little more complicated than that."

"Not to us."

"Fair enough. I hope it doesn't make you uncomfortable, but I'm here on a mission, and I won't go unarmed."

"That is fair, as well."

There was a moment of silence. Orin was unsure of how to proceed. The girl merely sat there looking around. He got the feeling she was just there to make conversation, that perhaps she was lonely in that large place with no one to talk to, no one with which to connect.

She turned her head to the window. "I am to become queen soon."

Orin nodded, "Yes, I know. I think your country is very fortunate to have you."

"But you don't even know me," she said, a look of sadness upon her face.

"That's true, but I like to think I know strength when I see it. Besides, we've been formally introduced, now we're hanging out, talking. Who knows? By tomorrow we could be best buds."

The princess smiled a gorgeous smile and laughed at this, then stood and walked to the door.

"Yes, tomorrow. I should be going. I apologize for keeping you from your meal."

"No apology necessary, Princess. The conversation was a nice change of pace for me."

"Good night."

Orin nodded, "Good night."

The girl made her exit, leaving Orin more confused now than when the Colonel had shown up at his door with the assignment. He also felt something else, something positive. He was almost happy now to be here protecting this girl. That was not a good thing. He would not be there for long, and connections were never well kept in his world.

Such thoughts could wait for another time, however. He was starving, but first he assembled his gun, then he ate. And as he ate, he stared out the window at the black sky full of brilliant, shining stars.

Miles and miles away in a place of equal though much more subtle beauty, Carter Mason spent her evening as alone physically as Orin and Rosie were in their hearts. She had ridden the bus home from school, finished her homework while manning the bait shop, and eaten dinner all as if she was sentenced to some open solitary confinement.

She was tired, emotionally drained from her day. She sat at the end of the dock jutting into the now black lake, smoking an awful tasting cigarette as she tried to catch those amazing, elusive moments of twilight. The sun dipped with soft finality below the horizon, probably just as unsure as she if it had the strength to rise another day. Up above the glow, in the silken bluish dark, tiny twinkling stars were beginning to punch holes in the fabric of space. Carter leaned back and watched as if they were there just for her.

The nighttime animals had not yet begun to stir, and even the crickets seemed hesitant to break the fragile silence. The only sound was the gentle lapping of the waves against the wooden legs of the dock.

"Please, something," the girl pleaded with the emptiness stretching before her, "anything."

Finished with the contraband tobacco, she dropped the still smoking half into an empty soda can beside her. It was a terrible habit, she knew. Every time her father came home she promised she'd never light one again, and every time he left she found herself reaching for the hidden pack she couldn't force herself to throw away.

She released a heavy, accepting sigh and walked back to the house. She threw away the can and went inside. She locked the doors, turned off the lights, and snuggled into her father's recliner in front of the television. In moments she was gone, sleeping a deep and dreamless sleep as the moving pictures ran wild over the screen.


	4. Chapter 4: Evil Assault, Daring Escape

Chapter 4

He was back in the jungle, inching closer and closer to his target. A rifle would have been preferable under such circumstances, but the cover was too thick, the camp too deep within the protective arms of giant green leaves and thick, overgrowing vines. He had to get in close. Close enough to do it by hand…by knife.

The security was minimal—no one even knew his target was there. It was a highly clandestine meeting, one that might decide the fate of a nation. Now Orin would control that fate. And what shadowy figures lurked in such secret places, discussing such things? Only the most ambitious and power-hungry dreamers. Men of merit and influence, never content with peaceful resolutions.

The air was muggy and thick, redolent with the scent of gasoline fumes emanating from the idling trucks nearby. Their monstrous rumble had masked the sound of his infiltration as he appeared and disappeared like a phantom against the backdrop of large, flat leaves and hanging stalks.

Just outside the makeshift hut, he could practically smell his prey.

All that was left was to wait for the chance to strike.

* * *

Orin awoke with a start, covered in a thin sheen of sweat. The dreams were less intense than they normally were. He was thankful to have something to look forward to as he regarded the warm tropical sunlight pouring through the windows. He half expected to awaken to the royal family singing joyously to animals in the courtyard under the radiant sky.

_Easy_, he thought, _this isn't a Disney movie_.

Much to his consternation, he found himself actually looking forward to the day ahead. This was an unusual feeling. If it weren't sufficient to at least be dreading all of the things that could possibly happen, he should at the very least feel nothing, and yet his first thought was if Princess Rosalinda would be safe throughout her coronation rehearsal, and even…if she had been safe throughout the night.

Very strange, indeed.

He showered and dressed and made his way downstairs. So early and there was already far too much activity for his tastes. The manor grounds were alive with preparations for the coronation, still a good time away. It would obviously be a very important day.

"Good morning, Captain, sleep well?" Major Mason asked as he approached.

"Yes, thank you, Major. Should I patrol the grounds?"

"You don't loosen up for a second, do you?"

"Not if I can help it."

"There's plenty of security patrolling the grounds, Captain. Have you had breakfast?"

"I'll wait until lunch."

"Nonsense. Listen, come with me to the kitchen. Mr. Guillermo, the head chef, makes a fantastic omelet. Get something to eat, then meet me in the courtyard and we'll find a station for you. Fair enough?"

Orin was at first unsure of how to respond. As great a man as Major Mason was, he wasn't sure he was entirely comfortable with the way he worked. There was no doubt he was serious about his job, but Orin was used to very different orders.

"Fair enough," he conceded and followed the Major, memorizing the halls and exits of the place as he they went.

* * *

They arrived at the mansion in the back of a floral delivery truck, the vehicle's original occupant dead in a ditch miles away. Each was dressed in a white worker's jumpsuit to cover the colors of their native country's uniform. Two would be dispatched to deal with courtyard security. The rest would escort their leader into the building and neutralize any resistance. The royal family were the prime targets.

"Remember, men, we need the bitch and her young whore. Without them, we cannot achieve victory. They must be captured whole and unharmed…for now, at least."

The cutthroats in the truck nodded their understanding. They were well trained soldiers and better trained killers. In a country like Costa Luna, such men would have wasted away in prison for their crimes, but Costa Estrella, they were salvaged and retained for what a man like General Magnus Kane considered to be great talent.

The General himself sat furthest from the back doors. He would follow the trail of bloodshed inside to begin his rightful reign.

With no windows in the back, Kane could only wait patiently as they grew ever closer to their destination. A rush of excitement filled him when the van stopped momentarily and he heard his man in the front seat speaking with the guard outside. Once all credentials had been shown, the van began moving again, and Kane knew it was only a short trip to the servants and delivery entrance of the mansion.

Minutes later the van came to a halt and the back doors opened. The man who opened the doors was expecting a delivery of rare and exotic flowers, but had only a moment to register his shock before one of Kane's men lunged forward and drove a six inch blade through his larynx. Before the servant had even finished twitching he was pulled into the van so as to remain hidden.

The men inside emerged into the fresh morning and nodded to one another in acknowledgement that the plan had begun. Kane and two of his best men approached one of the back entrances and made their way inside the building.

Kane smiled in the knowledge that by the time the young soon-to-be queen of Costa Luna realized she was in danger, it would be too late.

* * *

Orin watched the proceedings from above, slightly mesmerized by the vibrant colors and subtle rhythm to the whole affair. The princess, resplendent in a lovely golden gown, pranced up the red carpet to the thrown yet again, not practicing now but merely lost in her own world of dreams and insecurities. Across the way, Orin spied Major Mason speaking with Queen Sophia. He made every attempt to never make assumptions that weren't critical to a mission, but he had a feeling that the relationship between the Major and Queen Sophia was more than simply work related. Orin had made such mistakes before. He had known many intoxicating women throughout his years of operating and he knew that things never ended well.

"Captain Traverse," one of the servants beckoned from the entryway to the upper balcony.

"Yes?"

"Will you come and check something? Quickly."

Orin took one final look back and saw that Mason was back to his patrol.

"I have to inform the Major," said Orin.

"Please, come now. I do not want to alert the Major if it is nothing serious."

"Well, what is it?" Orin asked, but the man had already hurried off. He didn't like it, but he didn't want to drag the Major away from the proceedings. Cursing under his breath, Orin hurried off and caught the man.

"What is this thing that might not be anything serious?"

"The door to the silverware closet was slightly open and the door knob was broken. I saw something inside and thought it would be best to alert you."

_Could be a bomb_, Orin thought and decided to pick up the pace.

At the end of a long hallway they came to the heavy wooden door that stood slightly ajar. Orin approached in slowly and looked inside. From without there seemed to be nothing strange our out of place so he slowly opened the door and walked inside. The shelves inside were lined with very old and no doubt very valuable antique silverware, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars worth. That was it, though. Nothing else seemed even remotely menacing. Without even truly knowing how or why, Orin felt that something was off. He slowly reached up and slid a sharp steak knife from its place amongst the other silverware.

"Everything seems fine," he said. "Tell me, what was it you found that was so disturbing?"

"A body, Captain. Yours."

Orin spun just as the would-be assassin pulled the trigger of a silenced pistol pointed right at the back of his skull. The slug zipped by just over his head and burrowed into the wall, cracking the wood and sending splinters into the air.

In a single, fluid movement, Orin swept the attacker's arm out of the way and buried the knife up to the hilt in his neck, skewering the carotid artery. Blood sprayed his hand and began to soak the servant's white jacket. The man would be dead less than a minute.

Orin let him fall to the floor as he darted out of the closet and sprinted back to the courtyard, where there were lives that could still be saved.

* * *

Princess Rosalinda was growing tired of the endless repetitions of the same movements and gestures, but she understood that her coronation was expected to be perfect, and perfection was what she must strive to attain. It had commenced that afternoon and continued for nearly an hour. During a lull in the proceedings, she found herself looking around for any sign of Captain Traverse, as she had earlier in the day. She wondered where he was and if, in fact, he would acknowledge her at all or simply act in that stoic way that men like himself seemed to enjoy.

Unlike some others, the young princess had no true understanding of the fragility of peace and how it can be shattered in an instant by the most devious of intentions. It was that afternoon that she received her first lesson in the power of sudden chaos. That was when all dreams of her joyous celebration were brought crashing down around her. It happened without warning, like a nightmare in the midst of a soothing sleep, brought on by a bout of fiendish laughter punctuated by a terrible shriek.

Rosalinda spun in her place before the throne and watched in horror as one of the house servants came stumbling through the great entryway clutching at his throat. He choked up red, tried to utter one final statement that devolved into a hideous death rattle as he fell to the floor and lay still as a pool of blood began spreading around his head.

Over his corpse stepped a man that Rosalinda herself had only ever viewed in photographs. It had always been the opinion of her mother and her handlers that he was far too dangerous a man for her to ever meet in person. General Magnus Kane now stood before her in his empirical military fatigues, grinning as if he had just taken over the world.

"What is the meaning of this?" the Archbishop, Father Umberto, moved to Rosalinda's side and spoke in his deep, strong voice. He was to be the one to crown her on the day she would take the throne.

"My dear Queen Sophia and Rosalinda, it is such a pleasure to see you both looking so healthy and radiant. We have been apart for far too long."

"Kane. How did you infiltrate these grounds?" Queen Sophia asked.

Kane only continued to smile as Dimitri, the Chief of Royal Security, stepped forward from the shadows and nodded his acknowledgment to his true employer.

Sophia gasped. "Dimitri, what are you…no…"

Father Umberto stepped forward. "Leave this place at once, in the name of our Heavenly Father!"

Kane reached to his side and loosed a shiny silver Luger pistol from a leather holster and leveled it at Umberto. Two great concussive blasts echoed throughout the stone courtyard as great bursts of crimson bloomed across the priest's white robes. He stumbled backward and fell to the ground, rolling down the steps of the platform upon which they stood.

"I'm afraid you're Chief of Security is now my Chief of Security, my dear Sophia," Kane gloated as he handed the pistol to Dimitri.

Dimitri nodded towards the throne. "My apologies, Senora, but now is no time for a princess to rule our country. Now is a time for strength."

"Yes!" Kane boomed. "And how can such a young _perra_ show strength to the world? Costa Luna and Costa Estrella are two tiny countries who must unite to show our true might to those who would ignore us. For the good of our great combined kingdom, I, Magnus Kane, declare myself _El Presidente los Republica de Lunas Costas! _Seize them!"

Two of Kane's men approached the throne. From the balcony above, Major Joe Mason had watched the proceedings in frozen dread. Aside from his sword, he was unarmed, unable to prevent the terrible massacre below. The Queen and her daughter had been betrayed and he would be damned if he would leave them now.

_Damn it, Orin. Where are you?_

Mason's heart sank at the thought that the young soldier he'd known all those years ago was nothing more than a coward or worse, a traitor. It looked as though he was all alone, and had no choice left but to act.

He drew his sword and swiped at one of the heavy decorative banners that draped the balcony. Using it as a rope, he swung down and kicked one of Kane's men to the ground. He gained his bearings and leaped up to the platform next to Sophia and Rosalinda.

Kane, still grinning, brought his hands together and clapped in light little flutters. "Ah, Major Mason. I have heard much about you. I am overjoyed that we could finally meet."

"Wish I could say the same."

"Yes, I agree. These are most unfortunate circumstances. I can't say I have much of a place for you in my ranks, not that I would hire an American _gringo_ if I did."

"Not that I would work for a ruthless dictator, so I guess the feeling's mutual."

"It's been nice speaking with you, Major. As you can guess, I'm sure, I'm very eager to spread the news to the people of my new country. Shoot him in the leg, Dimitri, I'm wondering what secrets he has to spill later."

Another shot rang out through the hall, but it wasn't a shot at Mason. The Luger sparked and flew from Dimitri's hand. Looking upward, Rosalinda watched in awe as Orin Traverse vaulted over the balcony railing above.

He landed with a heavy thud upon the platform and raised his pistol, quickly firing off two shots into each of the approaching soldiers. They crumpled as if made of paper and lie still upon the ground.

"Wrong fucking day," Orin said, leveling the weapon at Kane.

Rage filled the General's face. "Who are you?"

"He is Orin Travers," Dimitri informed Kane. "He was the late addition to security I told you about."

"Ah, yes. You, my young friend, will suffer a fate like none other, and you will serve as an example to all who oppose me. You will be hung before the masses and skinned alive."

"Sounds pretty painful, but listening to your bullshit is torture enough. Major! Get them out of here."

Mason grabbed Rosalinda and Sophia and began moving to the doorway behind them.

"No! They are mine!" Kane bellowed. Gloved hand moving swiftly, he drew his sword in a silver flash and hurled it through the air. It sailed like a javelin and planted itself to the hilt in Sophia's thigh. The woman screamed in agony as she fell to the ground.

Orin turned his attention to the sound of the scream, afraid that it was Rosalinda that had been hit. He realized too late that it had been his mistake. Returning his gaze to Kane, he sighted down his pistol and fired, but Kane foresaw the attack and moved quickly, pulling one of his own men in front of him to act as a shield. The round slammed into the man's chest, causing him to fall back against Kane.

"Mother!" Rosalinda cried, reaching out.

"Sophia!" Mason called to her as he held the princess back.

"It is too late for me! Take her now! Protect her!"

Rosalinda screamed, "No! I won't leave you!"

"Shit!" Orin cursed as he dove from the platform and grabbed the young girl, pulling her away. "Come on!"

They hit the doors running and made their way through the corridors until finally emerging at the back of the palace. Along the grassy embankment just ahead were the steps that led up to the helipad and the awaiting royal transport helicopter.

"Go! Go!" Orin commanded as he turned and fired his remaining rounds down the hall, striking two more of Kane's soldiers.

Turning in one fluid movement, he ejected the empty and slid a fresh magazine into the grip in the time it took him to get to the stairs. He bounded them two at a time, his legs already beginning to burn. The pilot inside the helicopter had already started the engine and had the blades turning by the time Orin bolted inside. Mason had already gotten Rosalinda strapped in securely and was now strapping himself in as well. The young girl was a mess of tears and sorrow. Something deep inside of Orin hurt when he looked at her, but he forced it even further down.

"Get us the hell out of here!" he roared.

Mason's face was in his hands, and Orin realized why. He'd had to leave Sophia behind in the clutches of a murderous despot, and there was no fast way to get her back. There was nothing to be said that could lessen the hurt.

As they ascended into the sky and the details below them became ever smaller, Orin narrowed his eyes when he saw Kane emerge from the mansion. The man simply stood and watched them, still as a statue, powerless to affect their escape.

Orin awaited a cavalcade of gunfire, the wretched whistle of an RPG, anything but the dull, constant thrum of the blades spinning overhead. He could only think of how much he wished the helicopter he was now in was an Apache or a Cobra or even a fully armed Cayuse…then he would show Magnus Kane the true meaning of wrath.

_We'll be seeing each other again, Kane. I promise._

His thoughts fired like bullets, twice as heavy and just as useless at that altitude, so he simply sat back, breathed deeply, and watched Rosie cry.


	5. Chapter 5: Shelter from the Storm

Chapter 5

Their destination was a dot, an insignificant piece of sand and rock in the middle of all that blue. Surface overgrown with lush greenery, it was but one in a small chain of islands somewhere off the coast of Honolulu. The waves gripped it all around as if trying to pull it down into the ocean.

Once Rosie's tears had dried and her thoughts had once again become something akin to coherent, she managed to wonder where in the world they were and what they were doing there. It was the furthest she'd ever been from home without Queen Sophia. Thinking about her mother caused the pain in her chest to tighten again, nearly bringing on another wave of sobs.

Orin finally spoke, unable to trap his frustration within any longer. "I want to know what happened back there, Major."

Mason was leaned forward, his gaze on the floor and at the same time somewhere far beyond. His head rolled on his neck with the movement of the chopper. His words were barely audible. "Kane happened."

Orin's teeth ground together as he swallowed bitter rage. "How is it that an enemy agent was able to not only infiltrate the Queen's inner sanctum, but become her chief of security without arousing any suspicion?"

"I don't know what to tell you, Captain. We messed up. I messed up."

Orin could hear the pain in the man's voice. Mason had been charged with protecting the princess, and though he had so far succeeded in that task, he had failed to protect the woman he so obviously cared for. The torment upon his face was as clear as day.

"I'm sorry, Major. I understand. I should've acted faster."

"You did everything you could, Orin. I've never seen anything quite like what you did back there."

They flew low over the tree tops, nearly close enough to skim the leaves with a mere dip of the hand. They approached a small dusting of beach at the northernmost end of the island and hovered. As the helicopter lowered to the sand, the tall swaying grasses bent sharply as if in genuflection at the arrival of the princess.

Orin jumped onto the soft white sand and turned to help Rosalinda down. He saw Major Mason speak something into his headset mike before taking it off. The pilot nodded in acknowledgement and once Mason was out of the chopper it rose into the air and took off for places unknown.

Once the helicopter was gone, the princess broke her stolid silence and rushed to Mason, gripping him tightly as if he was the last thing in the world she knew. In a sense, that was the terrible truth.

"Major, why are we here? We have to go back for my mother. We have to!"

"I know, princess, I know. All in time, but right now we have to move, okay?"

Reluctant to give in, Rosalinda gave a solemn nod and they began their short trek down the beach. It wasn't long before they came to a small structure with large steel doors recessed in the foliage. Had Mason not peeled back the leaves and motioned her in, Rosalinda would have missed it completely.

There was a small keypad on one wall. Mason punched a collection of numbers into its face, causing the doors to slide open, revealing a simple gray metallic box of a room. Rosalinda was certain it had to be some sort of elevator.

"This is where we say goodbye, princess. You'll be safe here, I promise," Mason told the young girl.

Rosalinda nodded to Mason and turned to look at Orin. She didn't know what to say to him. All she knew was that she didn't want to say goodbye.

"Thank you," she said, knowing that the words alone were insufficient to fully convey her gratitude.

Orin did not speak, only nodded, betraying nothing of himself. If he felt anything at all, Rosalinda could not tell. For all she knew he was all metal and wiring inside, a programmed machine incapable of human emotion.

With that, she turned and entered the chamber, a single teardrop rolling down her cheek as the doors slid closed, separating her from her protectors and the world outside.

* * *

Now that the adrenaline had passed, Orin was dying for a drink. Try as he might, he couldn't still the shaking in his hands. Too much booze, too many bad dreams. He was afraid he'd lost his edge, but the events of the day had proved he could still be a killer when he needed to be. Whether that was good or bad required him to look into dark places he'd rather leave untouched.

He was sitting in a locker room of sorts, a storage and shower area for personnel who worked on the island long term. After leaving Rosalinda, he and Mason had trekked further inward to a hidden stairwell entrance to the compound. Though he had a somewhat vague understanding of the place and what happened within, he let Mason fill him in about the protocols and workings of the PPP.

"How are you holding up?" Mason asked as he entered the locker room. He looked down at Orin's trembling hands.

"Major, I need a hardline to Colonel Campbell immediately. I have to inform him of the situation."

"We'll get to that in a bit, Captain. I asked how you're doing."

Orin clenched his fists and looked back at the floor. "I'm fine. I could use a drink."

"Nothing like that here. Too many proper young women around."

"Yeah, this place is something else. I didn't quite expect it to be this sophisticated to tell you the truth. I suppose I should've known better."

"What do you mean?"

"It gets funding from the private sector, right?"

"Yeah, how'd you guess that?"

"With mommy and daddy insuring the protection of the heirs to their thrones, of course it's going to be the best money can buy."

"You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"Actually I have, I'm a little more sarcastic and a lot less optimistic."

"I can see."

Orin was given no choice but to accept that they were stuck there for the moment. He would simply have to wait to vent his frustrations to Campbell. Instead he decided to try his hand at small talk, something he'd never been much good at.

"So where are you headed next, Major? Back home?"

"Yep. Can't wait to get back to Carter. I hope she's okay. What about you?"

"I don't know, but I've got a good guess."

Mason decided not to push for anything further. "Well, when you get some time off, you should come to Louisiana. You can meet Carter, relax, get in some fishing. Lake Monroe is a beautiful place."

Orin nodded. "That sounds nice."

The door to the locker room opened, cutting off their conversation. Orin rose to his feet, expecting to see someone in charge. He was surprised with Rosalinda walked in, spotted him, and immediately ran forward to wrap her arms around him.

"Hey, what the—" he sputtered.

"She demanded to see both of you before going any further with our procedures."

Orin looked up, following the thick Russian accent to a slender middle-aged woman standing in the doorway. What caught his eye was the mess of red curls atop her head. He'd know that shade anywhere.

"Captain," Mason began the introduction, "this is—"

"Lizaveta Petrova. What in the world are you doing here?"

"I am the Director here, Orin. It is still Orin, isn't it? It's been a long time."

Orin nodded. "Yes, ma'am, it has."

"You two know each other?" asked Mason.

"We met in Moscow, years ago. Back when she was KGB."

"That was the old me, Captain. I can see you haven't changed much. You've gotten older. Are you still of any use to your Program?"

Orin swallowed and glanced at Mason, then back to the Director.

"I'm all that's left of the Program."

"That is a shame. It was an intriguing experiment, to say the least. However, our program, as you can see, is fully functional and very high tech. We are in the process of relocating and shrouding Princess Fiore as we speak."

Rosalinda turned to Mason and finally spoke. "I do not trust these people. I want to return home."

"And you will, but first we need to find a legal way to remove Kane from power."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Orin said. He immediately wished he hadn't said it in front of Rosalinda. He could tell she was fragile enough as it was. She needed hope, but he only dealt in reality. He changed the subject.

"Who the hell is this Kane, anyway?"

The Director shot him a hard look and said, "Please, follow me."

The left the locker room and made their way to a large chamber that appeared to act as some sort of command center. There were computer consoles set up throughout the room, each screen being monitored. Against the front wall there arose an enormous glowing center screen. The graphic upon the front was of enormous planet Earth with a shield in the center. Upon the shield were the letters PPP.

The Director spoke to one of her subordinates, and upon the screen there appeared the face of the enemy. A small square beside scrolled through a collection of text, detailing the man's history and crimes.

"General Magnus Kane. Ruler of Costa Luna's neighboring country of Costa Estrella," the Director said.

"General," said Orin. "Figures."

"Costa Estrella is ruled by the military, and he is quite a ruthless dictator."

"I know the type. Fascist tyrant. Self-serving, sadistic, and arrogant."

"He's only a minor threat, though."

"Minor threat? A few years ago I'd be sent out to collect his head, now you expect me to believe that he's just a minor threat?"

Mason stepped forward. "He's not the job, Orin. We have to make sure that Princess Fiore makes it to the throne without a hitch. The country will become unstable without a ruler, and that gives him a way in. This time we're going to stop the bad guys without violence. All you have to do is watch over things."

"Wait a second, what do you mean? I'm not a part of this. I was hired to provide security and I even screwed that up. My job is done."

"Actually, Captain Traverse, your job has only begun. It was to watch over the princess, was it not?"

"Yes, but—"

"And that job is still in action. She needs protection now more than ever. For the time being, you are to stay with Princess Rosalinda until you receive further instructions."

"Ma'am, I need a hard line to Fort Bragg as soon as possible. I have to speak with Colonel Campbell."

"These orders come from the Colonel himself."

"I don't take orders. I'm here freelance, you should know that."

The Director nodded. "I do. I know I cannot make you do anything, Captain, which is why you are being paid an additional $10,000 for your assistance."

"This is unbelievable."

"Captain, please," said Mason, "I could really use your help with this."

Rosie broke her silence and once again surprised him. "Please everyone, if Orin…I mean, if Captain Traverse wishes to leave and be left alone, that is his choice. He has no obligation to us. Captain, thank you for all of your help."

Orin lowered his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. Money was money, but there was something else. It was something in the girl's voice, in her eyes. He'd never had the opportunity to help someone in such a way, and though it was absurd he almost did feel an obligation to keep her safe. He couldn't believe he was doing this.

He raised his head and asked, "Where are we going?"

* * *

Back in Costa Luna, General Magnus Kane sat upon his new throne, working in the cushion and relishing the sounds of Queen Sophia struggling against her bonds. A pair of stainless cuffs bound her hands and and steel chain ran from the foot of the throne to a thick shackle around her throat. She was sitting at the edge of the platform, as far from him as she could manage without choking herself, though she saw that course of action becoming more possible with every moment.

Kane looked down at her and grinned. "Sophia, my dear, how is your leg feeling?"

She did not respond. They had bandaged her wound but the dressing was already seeping through with blood. She had asked for something to ease the pain but was met with no such generosity.

"I see. You are worried about your dear Rosalinda. Don't be. She we will be back with us in no time at all, I promise."

"You won't touch her."

He waived a finger in the air. "Now, now. That's no way to talk to your King. You should learn a lesson in respect."

She glared at him. "Respect must be earned."

Slowly, he rose from the throne and approached Sophia until he was close enough to touch. A fist as hard as stone caught her in the face, knocking her fully to the floor. She lay there, still, as blood leaked from her lips.

"I have earned everything that is mine! I have your country, I have you, and I will soon have your bitch daughter at my heel as well!"

"You will never find her," Sophia croaked.

The smile returned to Kane's face. "Poor Sophia, I always knew you and your daughter would be unfit to run even a kingdom as small as Costa Luna. You have no vision, no…imagination. Rest assured I will find her, and this Major Mason you have protecting her. You and your daughter will become a symbol of futility to all who would oppose me. The young man who killed my men was certainly a surprise, but in time I will make him pay for his interference. Now, I will have Dimitri show you to your new lodgings. I do hope you will find the accommodations comfortable."

Sophia was taken away even as she bled, leaving Kane to contemplate his next move.

There was work to be done.

* * *

Carter was on her way to her biology class and wondering when her father would be back when she was rushed by the beautiful, fair-skinned girl and pulled into the janitor's closet.

"How's it going, bait girl?" the tall, slender beauty asked as she pushed Carter against the back wall. The Asian girl's skin was smooth and bronzed from hours spent at the local tanning salon.

"Stop it, Chelsea," Carter told her, not as forcefully as she could have. She also could have broken free from her hold, but made no move to push the warm hands from her shoulders. Chelsea was arguably the most beautiful girl in school. Her family was certainly the wealthiest, her father being the owner of a chain of frozen yogurt shops.

"Haven't seen you around much the last few days. You avoiding me?" Chelsea asked in a soft voice, her face drawing ever nearer to Carter's.

"You know I wouldn't do that."

As with Donnie, Carter had been deeply smitten with Chelsea for years. She watched the goddess float throughout the hallways as if she was a queen and the school was her castle. Carter was nobody to her, of course, except another adoring subject to be kicked around and played with occasionally. Still, royalty could be good from time to time.

"That's what I always thought. Especially with all the fun we have. But when you run away all the time and never talk to me it hurts my feelings."

"You told me once to never speak to you."

Chelsea giggled. "In public, silly. Of course, I'll admit, even in private I prefer to keep the conversation to a minimum."

The girl slid her hands down to Carter's waist, playfully toying with the top of her jeans. She moved her face even closer. Carter could smell the girl's strawberry lip gloss like it was a lollipop waiting to be licked. Finally, delicately, their lips brushed, gliding over one another like smooth glass. Chelsea spoke in a low, husky voice even as she tormented Carter.

"After all, there are so many better things to do with your mouth."

A part of Carter wanted to push her away, to run from the building and into the woods, never to be seen again. But another part—a deeper, darker part—wanted her to continue, even if it wasn't real, even if it meant nothing to Chelsea. Carter still wanted it. She needed someone to hold her so badly sometimes.

The bait girl leaned forward, strengthening the bond between their lips when Chelsea bounced back, a heartbreaking grin upon her face.

"But not today, loser," she said and walked out.

Carter was left alone again. Taken for all she was worth and left in a janitor's closet. She wondered if life would ever get any better, or if she was doomed to this loneliness forever.

Slowly, pitifully, she slide down the cold stone wall and sat with her arms wrapped around her backpack, waiting for the final bell to ring so she could go home to be with the rest of the worms.


	6. Chapter 6: Strange Visitors

Chapter 6

"One more time, Rosie."

Rosalinda, now Rosie to the world, tore her gaze away from the expanse of shimmering blue-green known as Lake Monroe. It was unlike any place she'd ever seen before, far from the crystalline blue waters of her homeland. It was not entirely without charm, but Rosie would've given it all up to be back in her mother's arms, free from danger once again. Her sense of anxiety and sadness had not abated even after landing, even after Mason had assured her she would be safe.

Throughout the ride from the airport, Orin said nothing.

"My name is Rosie Gonzalez. I am your niece. I will be staying with you and your daughter Carter while my parents are out of the country on business."

"Very good. If anyone should ask you any questions at all, that's the only thing you need to tell them, okay?"

"I understand."

"Good. How about you, Orin? You want to share a little of your backstory?"

"Sure. I'm Jack Mehoff, former secret agent turned mercenary and total tool for the U.S. government."

Mason laughed. "Aren't we all?"

After a ride threw meandering dirt roads and overgrown foliage they finally pulled up in front of Mason's comfy looking two-story homestead nestled just off the edge of the water.

"Lakefront property," Orin commented, "nice."

"Thank you. You two feel free to make yourselves at home."

_No offense_, Orin thought, _but I don't plan to._

They walked inside and set their bags down by the door.

"Rosie, you'll be staying in the room right at the end of the hall there, if you want to check it out. Orin, I, uh…"

Orin held up a hand to stop him. "I'll manage. Can I use your secure line, Major? I need to get a hold of Colonel Campbell."

"Yes. It's in my office, right off the kitchen."

"Thank you, sir."

"No need for the sir, Captain. You're both welcome in my home. Get your things put away, make yourselves comfortable. Carter should be home anytime. I've got to get out to the dock and take care of some things. I've got a shop to run, you know?"

Mason walked out, leaving Rosie and Orin in the living room.

"Nice place." Orin said, attempting to fill the awkward silence. He didn't mention how much better it was than some of the places he'd seen.

"It will suffice." Rosie replied in a terse tone of voice.

"Is something wrong?"

"Not at all. Aside from knowing that my protection has a price tag, everything is fine."

Orin sighed. "Rosie, I'm sorry. That wasn't about you, okay?"

"No, it was about you. You don't want to be here, why didn't you just leave?"

"Because I have a duty to look after you until you become queen. And…because I care about your safety. We're friends, remember. That stuff with the money was just me being stubborn. There's some history at work here and I shouldn't be letting it affect me. You should be angry with me, I suppose, but I'm here to help you the best I can."

He turned to walk away, but stopped to impart one final word. "And one thing you'll soon learn is that everything has a price tag, Rosie. Even life. Yours…and mine."

He left her and made his way to Mason' study, closing the door behind him.

* * *

"Dad!" Carter yelled as she stormed in the front door. Helen, the bus driver, had pointed out Joe Mason's jeep to Carter before the girl herself had even noticed. Carter had jumped off the bus and made a mad dash for the house as if a raging storm were right behind her.

She broke in the front door and called out again to be greeted only with silence. She checked the kitchen and decided to ditch her backpack before scouring the place for him.

She ran down the hallway and burst into her room, throwing her bag on the floor and greeting her new visitor before her mind even had the chance to register that it was all wrong.

"Hey," she said, so eager to greet her father that her flustered mind could not discern one entity from another.

"Hello." A proper, delicate voice floated into her ears.

Carter stopped cold in her doorway, her heart kicking into overdrive and beating a thousand miles a minute, as if it could be measured in distance.

Slowly, so slowly, she turned to find one of the most beautiful girls she'd ever laid eyes on sitting atop her bed. The girl made not a move, but sat there still as a statue as if trained from birth. Carter felt confused and uncertain, and yet there was a peculiar thrill as well.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"I am Rosa…Rosie."

"Rosa Rosie?"

"No. Just Rosie."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, I am sure."

Carter was silent for a moment, looking the girl over. She seemed harmless, and yet there was something about her that was indescribably exotic. Carter was nearly struck dumb by the girl's incredible beauty. She never seen anyone with such elegance and tenderness.

Realizing she was staring, Carter shook off those thought and pressed forward.

"Okay, so now that we have that established, what are you doing in my room?"

"Major Mason told me I would be staying here."

"He did, did he?"

"Yes. He's been very lovely."

"Lovely?" Carter didn't know who the girl was, but at least she was amusing.

"Of course, this suite is much smaller than what I'm used to, but it will feel much larger once I have that cot moved to the far wall."

"It's not a cot, it's my bed. Mine. Like the suite we're in. Will you excuse me for a second."

"Yes, you are excused."

"Umm, thanks. I guess."

With that, Carter left to find her father and ask him what in the world was going on.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Mason's office, Orin understood exactly what was going on.

"So," Colonel Campbell's scratchy, guttural voice came through the telephone, "Kane actually tried it. An assault on the Queen's mansion, and in broad daylight. I'm surprised."

"You knew he was going after the girl."

"We anticipated, Orin. There's a difference."

"Screw your difference. You lied to me. I told you I wasn't going to do your dirty work anymore, and you fooled me into thinking you were my friend. Now I'm stuck here in Backwoods, USA for God knows how long playing bodyguard to a damn princess!"

"First, I am your friend. I'm the only thing you've got left in your miserable life. And second, you wouldn't be where you are if you'd done your job.

"I did my job. I protected the girl. You know, what you hired me to do?"

"I thought I could still count on you to do the hard thing, Orin."

"Yeah, well, I haven't gone that soft. I was taken by surprise, that's all. I didn't have a clear shot."

"You've never needed one."

Orin didn't know what to say. It was true, he still felt the old urge every now and then. He'd wanted to kill Kane, without even truly understanding why. All he knew at the time was that he was the enemy. But he'd failed, and now Rosie was on the run, her mother captive or even dead.

"It doesn't matter now. When are you going after Kane?"

"We're not."

"The hell you're not?"

"It's not United States business, Orin. We can't just send in troops."

"So what? He just takes power and that's it?"

"He can't take true authority as long as princess Rosalinda still stands to inherit the throne. But he's a very powerful man, Orin. His country is small but what he exports in oil and precious minerals makes him a player in the UN."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I'll make some calls, see if I can bring this to the NATO council. But right now, nobody even knows what's happened. If Kane plays his cards right, he could stand to occupy Costa Luna and no one could stop him. But that's only if he can get a hold of the princess. Now, on the other hand, if I can get clearance, we might be talking about a go ahead for a force removal. If I could manage that-"

"Do what you have to, but leave me out of it. I…I've got a responsibility here."

"To whom? Mason? A princess you'd never even heard of before a few days ago?"

"This girl's life is in danger. I can't just leave now. She's probably already being hunted, am I right?"

"I would say so, yes."

"Mason is a good man but if they manage to find her he can't protect her, or himself. I only hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does I need to be ready. I'm going to need your help."

"What can I do?"

"I need my gear as soon as possible."

"Done. Anything else?"

"A demo kit. The rest I can get on my own, I just need access to my payment. Tell Uncle Sam I won't spend it all in one place."

"All right, Orin. It'll be there. Just sit tight. I'll stay in touch for sitreps."

"I'll be here."

"…It's good to have you back."

Orin placed the phone gently into the cradle, though he wanted to crush it to bits. While his old Colonel thought they were back to good like a dog on his master's leash, he felt beaten inside. If he could've denied it, he wouldn't have been there, but he'd let it happen because on some level he wanted back in, if only halfway.

The worst part was knowing he'd been manipulated, and still was. Pride, however, had to go on the backburner for now.

He needed to take a look around, assess his surroundings some more. Opening the office door and stepping out, he ran right into the liability he'd been waiting for. The young girl. Sixteen, dark hair, already the start of a lovely young woman.

"Whoa. Uh, hi." Carter said, stepping back.

"Hey. Carter, right?"

"Yeah. Who are you?"

"My name's Orin Traverse. I work with your father."

"Oh. Is my dad in there, by any chance?"

"No, he was headed out to the dock."

"Any other visitors in the house I should be aware of? The one in my room didn't tell me about you."

"Rosie. Yeah, sorry about that."

"He's never mentioned working with anyone."

"It's just for now. I was asked to help him out."

"With the head case."

Orin chuckled lightly, "Yeah. She's very nice, you just have to get past…all of that."

"Yes, I thought so much when she gave me permission to leave my own room."

"Yeah."

Carter looked Orin up and down and spotted the pistol at his hip.

"My dad doesn't carry a gun."

Orin looked down at his sidearm, then back up at the girl. "I do."

"Well, I need to talk to my dad, so…I assume you'll still be here."

"Unfortunately, yes."

There was the briefest moment of silence before Carter turned and left through the kitchen. Orin was left alone, at first unsure of what to do with himself. He never felt at home in other people's houses. He always felt like an intruder, which ironically enough had always been the case.

He began to look around, committing the layout of the house to his memory, mapping the doors and windows in his mind and hoping the knowledge wouldn't be needed.

* * *

Joe Mason looked out at the lake before him, taking in the sparkling blue waters and thinking about how good it was to be home. The stress of the recent events finally struck him hard. He hadn't realized how badly the confrontation with Kane's men had shaken him. For just the slightest moment he considered he may never see Lake Monroe or Carter again, and the thought felt as though it had the power to destroy him. His job was not a battlefield, he was no longer accustomed to such things.

But how he was back with Carter, where he belonged, and as long as he had that he had nothing to worry about.

He had just finished collecting his bait and resetting his traps when she came running up. He would know those footsteps coming up the dock no matter what was going on. He'd been listening to them all of her life.

"Hey." He said, wishing he could rush to her and envelope her in his arms. She was a big girl now, though. She'd just think he was lame.

"Yeah, hi. Love you, welcome home and all that. But, umm…can we talk? Specifically, about the doe eyed girl sitting all prim and proper in my bedroom?"

"You met Rosie?"

"Yeah, who is she and what is she doing here?"

"I had to bring her here, the Director put me in charge."

"But why here? Why you?"

"Carter, I didn't have a choice. That girl just went through something you couldn't imagine. She had to leave her home, her mother. I'm the only one she trusts."

"I don't…I don't understand."

"You know that what I do is…complicated. But if I thought for even one minute that it would hurt our family-"

"Dad, I get it. No need to lay it on that thick. Do what you've got to do, I guess. I'm just glad you're home."

"Good."

Carter looked out at the lake, then, almost as an afterthought, "What about the other guy?"

"Oh, Orin? You don't remember him?"

"Should I?"

"Nah, guess not. You met him once, a long time ago."

"Who is he?"

"A soldier. The Director told me I was being assigned extra help for the mission. He didn't have to, but he's decided to stick with us. That's all."

"But you know him?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. We worked together once. When I was in the military. He was on my plane when I came home from Somalia."

"He's a little…"

"Yeah, I know, but he's a good guy. He'll keep to himself, but I want you to try to make him feel comfortable. I don't think he knows the meaning of the word home. Or family, for that matter."

"He looks shell shocked."

"And just how would you know that term?"

"Dad, I've seen Platoon like ten times."

"Yeah, well, that television will rot your brain. Here, give me a hand with these, huh?"

* * *

Inside the house, from the window of the quiet room that was not her own, Rosie watched the lovely young girl out on the dock. Her movements were captivating in their own subtle way, unlike any person she'd ever met. The way she strutted down the dock as she'd obviously done a thousand times before. Her stubborn stance as she conversed with Major Mason. Rosie wandered what they were talking about? Where they talking about her? About how much of a burden she was already?

If only there was some way to show them her gratitude.

"Carter," Rosie spoke to no one. "I think we should be friends."

She heard movement behind her. She spun from the window and sat back down, smoothing her dress across the top of her legs, resuming her stillness.

Orin appeared at the door.

"Hello, Captain."

"Is everything all right?"

"Yes. Everything is fine. How are you?"

Orin looked around uncomfortably. "I don't know. We'll see. I'm going to take a look around."

Rosie nodded, "I will be here."

"Scream if there's trouble."

"I, uh…yes." Rosie said, confused and troubled by the Captain deadly serious tone. He turned and left her in the silence of the room, to await Carter's return.


	7. Chapter 7: Thunder in the Distance

Chapter 7

After he finished memorizing the layout of the house, Orin summoned the courage to return to Carter's room to see Rosie. He couldn't explain why, but he didn't want her to hate him. It was true he hadn't known her long, but she represented something that he thought was all but lost in the world…innocence. He wanted to protect that if he possibly could.

"Hey," he said as he entered the doorway. She was still sitting there, still as the water outside the window.

"Good evening, Captain."

"Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine."

"…Are you all right?"

Rosie sighed slightly. "I miss my home."

"To tell you the truth, so do I."

"But you were only there for one night."

"Well…I guess it was a pretty good night. I'm sorry, Rosie. For everything that's happened. Somehow, we're going to fix this."

"Thank you."

"I'm going to step outside. You want to get some air?"

Rosie glanced anxiously at the window. "No, I think I will stay here."

Orin left her again, hoping he'd smoothed things over at least a little. It nearly stopped him dead in his tracks to think that if he didn't do his job right that young girl could be dead…nearly.

As night began to fall, Orin found himself sitting on the front porch, looking out at the calm, cool waters of Lake Monroe. A light breeze blew inland while twilight stretched itself over the horizon.

Movement drew he eyes to the driveway as Carter and her dad made their way back to the house, their work finished for the day.

"Hey, Orin." Mason greeted him as they approached. "Where's Rosie?"

"Still inside. I didn't want to hover. Thought she could use some space."

"Yeah, it'll probably be a little rough on her for a few days. Sorry we're back so late. I bet you're hungry."

"Dad and I were thinking pizza," Carter said. "What do you think?"

Orin stood. "I'm in."

"Toppings?"

"Your choice."

They went inside and Orin double checked the locks on all of the doors. He was nervous. It had been a while since he'd felt this way. It was even unlike the sleepless nights he spent drunk and cradling his gun, fearing an invisible battle that waged just outside his door. He hoped they didn't notice how jumpy he was. He'd just have to stay alert and calm at the same time..

Dinner came and they ate, Mason and Carter sitting on the couch and Orin in a chair to the side. He had tried to get Rosie to join them but was sent back alone.

"She says she's not hungry." He told them.

"Has she moved?"

"Don't think so."

"Wow, what a weirdo," Carter said.

"I admire her discipline." Responded Orin.

They made some small talk but Orin mostly sat quietly while Carter and her father conversed. She caught him up on the small, mundane happenings of their small town life. Who stopped in at the bait shop, who said hello, who caught a big one the other day. Orin noticed with curiosity how Carter clammed up when asked about school. He could tell she was hiding something.

After dinner they broke out a deck of cards.

"You play, Orin?" Carter asked.

"Not for a long time."

"What's your game? Poker?"

"More like go fish."

Carter laughed. "Really?"

"Afraid so."

Cater dealt and they played for a while. Carter regarded the look on Orin's face and wondered if there was ever a time when he didn't look so serious.

"So I thought princesses had designer clothes and billion dollar jewel necklaces and stuff like that."

"She had to leave all that stuff behind." Mason said. "I was hoping…maybe…you'd lend her some of your stuff."

Carter hesitated. "Yeah, sure. I've got some old billion dollar necklaces I never wear anyway."

"Thank you, now why don't you go try one more time."

Carter knew what he was talking about, and didn't like the idea. "C'mon, dad. I'm no good at-"

"Carter." He said, staring her down.

"After this hand?"

"Now."

"Fine," she sighed, rising from the couch. She had changed into more comfortable nightwear-an old blue t-shirt and plaid boxer shorts. She put a slice of pizza on her plate and made her way to her bedroom where she was surprised to find that the princess within still had not moved from her spot.

"Okay," said Carter, holding up the plate, "kitchen's closing. Last chance to get something to eat."

"No thank you. I wish to sleep."

"Suit yourself. I tried." She sat the plate on her dresser and turned to leave.

Rosie stood, suddenly eager for Carter to stay. "You may help me prepare for bed."

Carter turned. "I may?"

"Yes. I require something to wear. Preferably silk, preferably pink."

Suddenly, disturbingly, Carter found her mind overcome with thoughts of the young princess's subtle curves draped in fine, soft fabrics. She imagined her laughing, rolling around on an enormous bed…a bed big enough for two.

She shook the thoughts from her head. "Pink silk, huh? Let's see."

Carter walked to the closet and pulled out an old oversized shirt she used to wear to bed. It was comfortable but well worn, with a few small holes here and there.

"This'll just have to do." She said, turning to toss it to Rosie-but the girl had already moved up beside her.

Rosie looked down the at the shirt with a sort of fascination in her eyes. She reached out and wrapped her hands around the fabric, the tips of her fingers just passing over Carter's.

"Thank you, Carter."

The black haired girl was taken aback as she looked into the other's deep, amber eyes.

"D-don't mention it," she stuttered.

She turned once again and saw that Orin was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. She looked away from him and quickly hurried past.

"Hello, Captain."

Orin looked over at the dresser, seeing the uneaten pizza. "You should really try to eat something. It's pretty good."

"I have never had pizza before." Rosie said as she picked up the plate.

"Best reason I can think of to try it."

Rosie took a bite and looked at it thoughtfully as she chewed.

"I thought it was supposed to be hot." She said before taking another bite.

"It can go either way."

She looked at him for a moment. "Thank you, Orin."

"You have no reason to thank me."

"I do. You didn't have to come here. And I know you did your best to protect me…and my mother."

There was a silence between them that couldn't be filled by a Mach truck. Orin couldn't hide the shame from his face any more than Rosie could hide the sadness from hers.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to find the bathroom."

"There's one on the other side of the living room and another upstairs."

Orin let her pass and returned to the living room to find Carter sitting alone with the television on one of the late shows.

"Shh, don't tell my dad," she whispered. "I'm not supposed to be watching TV this late."

"Consider it classified. Of course, he is the commanding officer of the house."

"I outrank him."

"Well, in that case," Orin stood straight and saluted, "requesting permission to sit, General Mason."

"At ease."

They both smiled-Orin smiling the best he could-as he joined her on the couch. Their cards were face down on the table, waiting for the game to resume. He didn't like being around people. He didn't know the first thing about being at ease, but he tried.

"She's got to be starving."

"She ate a little."

"She did?"

"Yeah. I think she'll be okay."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You don't seem like you want to be here."

Orin tensed up. "I've got nowhere else to be."

"That's…sad."

"I mean I'm fine. Your dad goes all over the world when I'm sure he'd rather be right here. It comes with the job."

"Why do you do it?"

"I…uh…" Orin looked at his hands. "I guess…to protect people. No matter how bad it got or what I had to do I always told myself that people were safer because of it."

"What do you mean, what you had to-"

A terror-filled scream filled the house like a gunshot. Carter and Orin exchanged troubled looks and leapt to their feet. His gun was in his hand as if plucked out of thin air.

"Stay here," he told Carter and bolted for the stairway that led to the second floor. Rosie was flattened against the steps, looking up in frozen horror.

"Rosie, what's wrong?" Mason asked the terrified girl.

Carter, having disobeyed Orin's order, moved past him and looked where Rosie's gaze was fixed.

"Are you kidding? Here," Carter said and reached up, grabbing a small green gecko from its hold on the wall.

"It's nothing. They get in the house sometimes. Don't you have lizards were you live?"

"Maybe…but I never see them."

"Yeah, well, you'll see them now."

"C'mon, Rosie." Orin said, holstering his pistol and offering her a hand.

"I am going to bed now," she said and walked away, still shaking.

Orin's brow furrowed as Carter and Mason began to laugh.

* * *

The Director sighed and sat back in the chair behind her desk. It had been a very long day.

Her desk was strewn with an assortment of files and paperwork. Keeping track of so many cases was exhausting. She needed a good night's sleep. But more than that, she needed a vacation. Her job kept her on the island for much of the year. She wasn't complaining. It was, after all, a rather cushy job. She gained a paradise as a home and protection from her enemies all for watching after the world's young royalty. She could do worse, a lot worse, but every job took it's toll sooner or later.

The only thing she truly regretted was that she'd never be able to return to Russia. It was her homeland, and she'd been forced to flee. But exile was better than death any day.

She was rubbing her eyes when the intercom on her desk buzzed to life. She reached out and pressed button to activate it.

"Yes?"

"Director, just checking in. Is everything okay?"

It was her personal assistant, Rebecca.

"Everything is fine."

"You're working awfully late tonight."

"Yes, but I'm just finishing up. I have a few last things to do."

"Yes, ma'am."

The Director rose and left her office. It was adjacent to the command center where staff was kept on call 24/7 to monitor their clients.

"Has Princess Rosalinda reached her destination?" The Director asked one of her technicians.

"Yes, ma'am. Major Mason checked in a few hours ago. Everything is fine and the princess is safe."

"Good. Now, I'm going to get some sleep. Let me know if-"

A massive explosion blew out the wall to the right of the main console, filling the room with dust and debris.

The Director hit the ground, her ears ringing from the blast. Red alert lights were flashing overhead. Had the day she always feared finally arrived? Had her enemies found her at long last?

As the dust settled, the technicians and operators in the room slowly rose from the ground.

"What happened?" Someone called out.

"Gas line, maybe."

Automatic fire sounded from the fresh hole in the wall. A hail of bullets tore through the room, cutting down several of the Director's people. Screams punctuated the staccato gunfire and streams of blood spun through the air like red ribbons in flight.

The gunfire ceased and many lay dead. The Director looked up from her place on the ground to see a looming figure stroll casually over the bodies that littered the floor. Shiny, black combat boots came to stand before her. She looked up into a face of pure evil.

"Hello, Director. We have yet to be formally introduced. My name is Magnus Kane. I believe you have information that could be very useful to me."

The Director could only look up in dumbfounded silence as another figure appeared beside Kane and an iron grip closed around her throat.


	8. Chapter 8: Predator and Prey

Chapter 8

He couldn't stand the water.

Orin had found a small field away from the house to sight in his weapons. Just inside the tree line, he lay on his stomach upon an old olive drab shooting mat, amidst the tall grass. Nudged against his shoulder was his rifle, a Remington 700PSS chambered in .308 Winchester. It had an adjustable stock, Leupold scope, and heavy match barrel with horizontal fluting. It was a beautiful piece and he loved shooting it, but even in the absorbing woods he could hear how far the sound carried over the lake. The water took the percussive reports and carried them out and through all the winding valleys of the rural area. He wished he'd had the foresight to have his barrel threaded for a suppressor.

He didn't plan on having to use the long range weapon, but he felt better having it with him, tested and sighted. He also had his other weapons with him to fire. On his hip was his trusted 1911, and to his left lay a pump-action Remington 870 in tactical configuration, a Heckler & Koch MP5K, and a silenced M4 carbine. It was what he considered a full weapon loadout, though the shotgun was unnecessary.

He worked the bolt and sent another round downrange, hitting less than an inch and a half from his original point of impact, a bare spot on an old dead tree where the bark had fallen away. It was a good ten inches in diameter, a perfect target. He'd always been adept at estimating range, and he put the tree at around 350 yards, his range finder proving him nearly spot on. That was 1650 feet. With the .308, he was capable of accurate hits out to about 900 yards, but he wasn't on a sniper mission and that was nearly out of the round's effective lethal range, anyway. It was most likely that if the rifle was to be used at all, it would be purely defensive. He wasn't doing covert wet work, he was babysitting.

A gentle wind pushed down on the clearing, bending the blades of grass into flowing waves that washed back and forth. Try as he might, Orin couldn't deny that he felt something special being in that place. He'd never been to Louisiana before but some strange signature of the land about him-the lake, the town, the house-he wondered if in another time and under different circumstances it could possibly feel like home.

Home…the word seemed so foreign to him. Strangely, as if one ever thinks of such a thing, he was unable to recall the last time he'd spoken the word.

He never adjusted for windage, preferring instead to rely on mills and instinct. He was a highly instinctive shooter, something that caused no small deal of trouble with his instructors during his training. He could adjust for elevation on the fly if he absolutely needed to, but he didn't like messing with his horizontal.

Satisfied now, he fired off the remaining rounds and put the rifle away. The woods would now forever hold the memory of him there, rehearsing for a violent battle that he prayed would never come. A part of him wanted to hide away there-build his own shack and disappear once again from the world.

The sun was moving quickly into the sky. He'd have to get back to the house soon. As hard as he tried he couldn't pull his mind away from the girls. If they were placed in danger because of the Program's pathetic protocols, he could only pray that he was able to protect them. Mason's daughter, Carter, was something else. Why the connection? Why the feeling that he needed to keep her safe as well?

The whole situation seemed rotten to him.

He had driven the Major's jeep into town to pickup his weapons from the local post office before the sun was even up. He'd been awake all night, too on edge to sleep.

Somehow, he knew something was coming.

* * *

Magnus Kane wiped the blood from his hands and lit a cigar from his personal collection he had imported from Cuba. A fine sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. His knuckles throbbed with a dull pain he hadn't felt in years.

"It didn't have to be this way, Director."

The Director, bound to a chair and bleeding from every hole in her face, lifted her head and spat a wad of blood and mucus upon the floor. "Go to Hell."

"Now, that's not very professional, is it? And even less ladylike. All you have to do is give me the information I requested and this could go so much more smoothly."

"I'll give you nothing."

"After enough pain, you will. And if not you, I will find someone else here who is a little more forthcoming."

"Or maybe you already killed the only other person who can help you."

"Perhaps, but I am an optimist."

"Bullshit. You're a sadist."

"That too," Kane laughed. "And I will slice every one of your little helpers into food for my dogs until I get what I want."

"If her father were still alive, you would be begging for mercy right now."

Kane cackled. "Ah, yes, the great King Fiore. I knew him quite well, in fact. How well did you know him, Director? Because I can assure you, you have no idea what you're talking about."

"How did you find this place?" Asked the Director.

"I have my ways, much like you have yours. But whereas you make your way protecting innocence and stupidity, I make mine by exploiting corruption and greed."

"You will never get her."

"Say whatever eases the pain, but mark my words. Soon I will have what I need and I will take all of the information from your system. After I have broken the princess and taken the throne I will make a personal hobby of hunting down every one of your little bitches and breaking them as well. Their nations will go bankrupt paying their ransoms."

The Director once again lowered her head. "You're…you're a monster."

"A monster for wanting to be strong? To be free? A monster for desiring my own kingdom, my own rules? Then yes, I am a monster-a monster created by the world you protect with your pitiful existence."

"General, sir!"

The Director's attention was drawn to the man in the blood-stained apron that emerged from nowhere. He wore a pair of latex surgical gloves stained with glistening crimson, bright and wet. He was smiling.

"The Director's assistant was very forthcoming. I have the security codes."

"Excellent. You truly are the best at what you do, doctor."

"It was easy, once she opened up for me."

The Director gritted her teeth. "You bastards."

"Your system is mine now. Soon I will have the location of Princess Rosalinda and every other royal family in the program. I wish you could be of more service to me, Director, but it seems I have everything that I came for."

"Sir!" One of Kane's technicians spoke from the main computer console. "I'm downloading their mainframe now."

"Where is the princess?"

"Their records show she has been placed in the care of Major Joseph Mason at his home in Lake Monroe, Louisiana."

"Ah, the United States. Interesting choice, Director Petrova."

As Kane's technicians finished their work and retreated to the waiting stealth boats, two of his assault squad men brought in a heavy black box and sat it among the rubble.

"I almost forgot to mention I brought you a gift, Director. I'm afraid I must be leaving now, but I didn't want to be rude. Please accept it as a token of my appreciation, along with my very best wishes. I hope you see now that there is nothing that can stop me."

"Someone will stop you," the Director said through gritted, bloody teeth.

Kane punched a series of numbers into the keypad atop the box. "Good bye, Director."

Outside, he boarded the Director's personal helicopter, not wanting to ride once again on one of the boats he'd used to infiltrate the island. As the chopper powered up, he produced a cell phone from his pocket and dialed in a number.

"Yes, General?" It was Dimitri on the other end. He was in charge of the squad of men in the stealth boats.

"Dimitri. She is hiding in the US, a state called Louisiana. Take the men north to Cuba. I will arrange for a private plane to take you from there. Call if you need anymore resources. Bring her to me."

"Yes, General."

Kane disconnected and, now airborne, punched another number into the phone.

"Enjoy your gift, Director."

The General pressed SEND and a moment later a ball of blinding white light erupted from the center of the island, billowing a great mushroom of flame into the air. The surrounding trees were engulfed in fire and Kane watched, mesmerized, as he flew upward into the sky.

The chopper was chased quickly by the sun as it rose above the horizon, bringing with it a new day.

* * *

"This place is a security nightmare, Major." Orin said as he looked around, surveying the lake and surrounding woods once again.

"I've always thought of it as cozy and peaceful." Mason quipped, sipping again from his coffee mug.

"I'm serious. About the only thing it's got going for it is the lake and relative isolation, and even those are double-edged swords." Orin looked around again. "There's a lot of open land around here. An enemy group could attack from any direction. I need to lay down a few alarm devices to let us know if anyone approaches."

"Nothing dangerous, I hope."

"I'll try to keep the bloodshed to a minimum. Some trip wires, flares-that sort of thing. I need to know of any areas that aren't traveled often. I know there's the road and the trail up to the water, but are there any places around here where you and your daughter don't tread much? The back of the house, maybe?"

"Well, sure. I mean, we've got the backyard, the trail-those places. We don't generally go past the tree line, if that helps."

"All right. There's nothing I can do about the road except watch it, but I'm worried about the lake. They could row in from up stream and we'd never even hear them coming. At the very least, it provides an escape route, though, I suppose."

"And the fishing's great."

"Major."

"Come on, lighten up." Mason laughed. "Look, nobody even knows where Rosie is, she's fine."

"She's not fine."

"And the Program's hard at work figuring out a way to put General Kane away. I don't think he's bright enough to pull this sort of thing off."

"Don't underestimate Magnus Kane, Major. Men like him can be very dangerous."

"Hmm, and I thought I was overestimating him."

Traverse cracked a smile, then sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, Major, I'm trying to level with you. I'm here for a reason. To make sure Rosie is safe no matter what. I've got a job to do, and I'm going to see it through. Humor me if you have to, but don't be so quick to let your guard down. And I know you live a quiet life out here, but please, let me take care of this my way."

Mason finished off his coffee and looked at his watch.

"Actually, it's kind of a fun change of pace, but I'm telling you there's nothing to worry about. Kane'll be out of Costa Luna and Rosie will be back home before you know it. This whole thing will be over and you can collect your paycheck and get back to your life. Now, as for me, I've got to get the girls off to school and get to the bait store. I _do _have a day job, you know."

"Can I say once again this school thing is a very bad idea?" Orin called after Mason, who was already walking away.

"Remember, lighten up, Captain. Everything's going to be fine." Mason called back before heading inside the house.

Orin took one more look around, already dreading the thought of the coming day. He knew what he had to do. He wanted to lay his traps early, but he'd have to do it after school. Rosie was his top priority and he had to stay as near as possible.

"Shit." He said, before turning and heading back to the house himself.

* * *

Breakfast was more like a buffet than anything else. It reminded Orin of days long past when you had to grab what you could and shovel it down your throat before being crammed into a helicopter and sent back out into the field. Mason obviously wasn't the cooking type, and morning meals probably consisted of whatever one could find around the house, anything from cereal that tasted like cardboard to the cardboard box it was in.

"Grab anything you like, Rosie. Don't be shy."

Orin stood next to Rosie overlooking the kitchen table. He could only imagine the confusion she had to be experiencing. She was used to servants bringing her fresh, exotic foods meticulously prepared and suited for royalty. Here, she was nothing more than the proverbial fish out of water. Still, Orin was surprised when he looked at her. Her poise under such stressful conditions was inspiring. It was clear that she hadn't slept much through the night, but there was not a single hair out of place. She looked as composed and calm as the moment he'd met her.

Carter, on the other hand, was much more frayed that she wanted to be. She kept stealing glances at Rosie, who in turn kept stealing them back. Carter could not mention to anyone the strange, intense dreams she'd had last night…the dreams of heat and passion that had only ever featured the likes of Donnie and Chelsea. But these dreams, they had been all about one very intriguing girl.

"Nothing like the see-food diet, huh?" Orin said, leaving Rosie's side and surveying the prospects for nutrition before him.

"Seafood? I do not understand." Said Rosie.

"You see food, you eat it. Leftover habit from the old grunt days, huh, Major?"

Mason cracked a smile and looked to Rosie. "That's right. I remember when we were literally given nothing but a ration kit and a small canteen after a twenty mile hike. Then of course we had to turn around and high-tail it back to base before nightfall."

"That's terrible."

"That's the military. I sucked in more than a few stray bugs back then to keep myself going."

"Yuck. You never told me that, Dad." Said Carter through a mouth full of cereal.

"It's just one of the many things I'm glad to have left behind with the military. But Traverse, you strike me as the kind of guy that still lives off MREs because you like the taste."

"Yeah, something like that. Eggs, Major?"

"Umm…"

"Top shelf. There aren't many." Carter chimed in, pointing to the refrigerator.

"Mind if I fire up your range?"

"Whatever you need, Captain. Make yourself at home."

"Oh, crap." Carter cursed as she saw the bus roll up outside.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Mason told her. "I'll give you a lift."

"No, that's okay, I want to get there a little early today anyway."

"Where are we going?" Asked Rosie.

Carter handed the young princess her backpack. "School," she said. "You're sixteen, you go to school."

"Yes, unfortunately that's what was agreed upon." Traverse sighed. "Rosie, wait. We need to ride with Major Mason."

"No. I believe it will be good for me to try this…public transportation." She said and followed Carter out the door.

"But…" Traverse said, looking down the pair of eggs in his hand and then up at the door. "Ah, damn it."

He cracked the eggs on the counter one by one and downed them raw. "I don't believe this."


	9. Chapter 9: Revelations

Chapter 9

Carter spent the whole morning watching her. For all the inconvenience, despite all the embarrassment, she couldn't take her eyes off of her. Carter didn't like the other kids staring at them, but even stranger, she didn't like the other kids staring at Rosie. She did, however, understand it. Rosie was new, which in a small town was worthy of attention all itself. But even more deserving was the fact that she was gorgeous and graceful. Carter could never even aspire to be like that, she was lower than the dirt that Rosie walked on.

"You're a substitute teacher?" Helen asked Orin, who needed a reason to catch a ride on the bus.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm a friend of Joe Mason's. I just got into town and I'm not staying long. I haven't gotten around to renting a car yet. I'm terribly sorry for the trouble."

Helen looked to Carter, who nodded, vouching for him.

"No trouble at all, long as you don't mind riding with a bunch of kids."

"These little angels? Who would mind that?" Orin said, glancing back at the mass of stony faced miscreants. He took an empty seat behind Carter and Rosie.

"That was a good one, but how exactly are you going to get into the school when they realize there isn't supposed to be a new substitute teacher?" Carter asked.

"I've got it covered." Orin assured, rubbing his eyes. "Let's just get this over with."

"Covered? You've got some special pass that gets you clearance anywhere, secret agent man?"

"Something like that."

"You're like James Bond or something, aren't you?"

"Not really. I don't care for martinis."

Thankfully, the bus ride was short, and Carter had run out of questions. Orin sat back and watched the buildings of the lazy little town go by, all the while keeping his eyes open for anything out of the ordinary. He looked behind them occasionally to make sure they weren't being followed. It was a long shot, yes, but if there was even a possibility he knew he needed to try to be on guard.

When they arrived they wordlessly stepped off the bus into the bustling throngs of hormonal hell-Lake Munroe High School. A few hundred glassy-eyed slaves to pubescence swarmed around them. Orin gazed around the parking lot like a machine.

"Would you relax? What on earth is possibly going to happen here?" Carter asked.

"Probably nothing, but it's best to be cautious. Rosie, get inside and go to every class Carter does, Mason probably already took care of the arrangements by now. I've got a few things I need to do, I'll be back later to pick you two up, cool?"

"Cool." Carter said, and Orin disappeared behind the bus.

"He is wound up way too tight." Carter said to no one in particular, then noticed how intently Rosie was paying attention.

"Umm, let's just get to class."

"Hey, bait girl. Who's your new friend?" Chelsea asked as she and Brooke stepped in front of them, blocking their way.

"What? I mean, she's just my cousin…she's staying with us-my dad and me-for a while."

"She's cute." Brooke said, a her lips spreading into a mischievous grin.

"I am Rosie."

"Hey Rosie," Chelsea said, laying on the charm and flashing her pearly whites. "My name is Chelsea, and this is my BFF Brooke. Do you need somebody to show you around the school? I know all the…special places."

"Maybe some other time." Carter said quickly and grabbed Rosie by the wrist, pulling her away.

"Do you not like them?" Rosie asked as she was pulled through the front doors of the school. "They seem very nice."

"Just stay away from them. They're bad news."

"Okay, Carter. I will do as you say." Rosie said, looking down at Carter's hand overlapping her own. Slowly, almost cautiously, the grip slipped away, but there was something inside Rosie that made her think she wouldn't mind if Carter had to hold her hand and drag her through the school all day long.

* * *

Orin looked at the beat up old Ford. He had been cursing himself for not trying to have a vehicle delivered. It didn't take much looking around in the small town to find something, though. He'd seen the for sale sign on the way to the school and made his way back there to take a look at he vehicle.

The old timer wasn't asking much, and Orin didn't need much. Something to get from point A to point B and maybe take a bullet or two along the way.

"She was a second vehicle. Drove her quite a few years, now. Don't drive too much anymore, though. Son bought me a new car, says it's safer, says it's got a computer inside it."

"They all do, these days, I guess. It looks pretty good, and you came down on the price for me. I'll take it."

"She ain't worth much more'n that, but she still runs." The old man told him.

"That's good enough for me," Orin said, handing the man a handful of bills. "Thanks. Have a good day."

The old man nodded. "You, too. Been a pleasure."

Orin hopped in the truck and drove it around town for a while, stopping at a gas station to check the oil and fill it up.

He thought he saw somebody looking at him a little too long across the street, but ultimately dismissed it as his own paranoia.

"God, don't let me screw this up." He said and closed the hood.

* * *

Rosie climbed into the cab and slid across the seat next to Orin to make room for Carter, who instead climbed into the truck bed and slumped down, covering her face with her hands.

"Carter, I'm sorry!" Rosie yelled out the door.

Carter did not reply. Rosie looked to Orin, who hadn't a clue what was going on or how to handle it.

"Just close the door, we'll sort this out later."

"There's no sorting out anything!" Carter spoke loudly.

Orin slid open the back window. "What's going on?"

"Please, just drive."

And he did. The ride was silent save for the rumbling of the engine. Orin spent the time wondering how he'd become the caretaker for two sullen teenage girls. He was often times too sullen for himself.

When they reached the house, Carter barely waited for the engine to shut off before jumping from the truck and stomping away. Rosie, instead of using the passenger door, climbed clumsily over Orin to give chase, stomping him between the legs in the process.

"Ah! Easy!" He cried out, his painful vocalizations largely ignored.

"Carter!" Rosie cried out, walking after the other girl. "Carter! I order you to stop!"

That's exactly what the dark haired girl did. She stopped and stood completely still for a moment before turning on her heel to face Rosie.

"You order me?" She asked, incredulous. "You order me? Well I order you to take a long walk off of a short pier."

"You cannot order me to do anything." Rosie said, crossing her arms.

Carter took three challenging steps forward. "Want to bet? You're in my kingdom now."

Rosie stood her ground for a moment before letting her arms fall. "Carter, please, I did not mean to hurt you."

Orin used the moment to step forward. "As much as I don't want to get involved in this, can I ask what happened today?"

"She only embarrassed me in front of the whole school. Why is she even here? She can't be normal."

"Why were you embarrassed? You have all the likeness of a proper queen. You are bold and beautiful."

Orin's eyebrows went up a notch as a moment of silence invaded the space between the three of them. The two girls looked into each other's eyes.

"Just please don't draw attention to us like that again." Carter said before turning and walking away.

"Okay," Orin said to himself before turning to Rosie, "look, I don't think she was really angry or-"

He was cut short by Rosie rushing forward and wrapping her arms around him. Taken by surprise, his hands flew into the air as if to ward off an attack. _Oh great_, he thought, _a hugger_.

Eventually his arms fell to her back and he stood there and held the girl.

"This was a mistake!" She sobbed into his chest. "I should never have come here."

"No turning back now," Orin whispered to her, lightly touching her hair. "It'll be okay. We'll work it out."

Further up the trail, unseen by Orin and Rosie, Carter stood just inside the bait shop, watching.

* * *

She was sitting at the end of the dock when he walked up behind her, his footfalls silent even on the old wooden boards.

"How is she?" Carter asked.

"She's fine," Orin replied. "Homesick, but fine. How are you?"

"You mean aside from being utterly mortified?"

He nodded, "Aside from that."

"Why do you want to know? You don't care about me, or any of us."

"I do," he said, pausing, and then, "I shouldn't, but I do. I care about your safety, I care about your happiness."

"Why shouldn't you?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "It's a job, Carter. An assignment. You're never supposed to get emotionally attached…to anyone. It isn't safe."

"I can't imagine going through life like that."

"Aren't you, anyway?"

Carter spun her head, looked at him, and thought for a second. He was right.

"I've got my dad," she said.

"What else have you got?"

She turned her head back towards the water. "You act like you don't need much."

"There's more than one difference between us, Carter," he told her moving up and sitting down beside her. "You're a sixteen year old girl with a good head on your shoulders and a whole life ahead of you."

"And what about you?"

He gazed out at the rippling water for a moment then looked at her, cracking half a smile. "Hey, be it far from me to give some inspirational speech. I'm not telling you to go out there and grab life by the horns and all that bull. You just don't seem happy, and I think you should be. I mean, I want you to be."

Carter sighed. "She stood up in front of the whole cafeteria and nominated me to be a homecoming princess. God, just the thought gives me the creeps. To be just like Chelsea and Brooke and rest of the spoiled jerks."

"You and I know better, but Rosie thought it was something honorable. I really think she meant to show you how much she admires you. You're like no one she's ever met."

"She told you that?"

"It's not like she had to, but yeah."

"She's like no one I've ever met, too. And so are you."

They both sat in silence and looked out at the water.

"Orin?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not part of the assignment."

"Not directly, no."

"But if we were friends, would it still be just a job?"

"It has to be, but that doesn't matter. If anything goes down, I won't let anything happen to either of you. And we are friends."

Suddenly, Carter's stomach gave out a loud grumble.

"Was that you?" Orin asked, impressed.

"I didn't finish my lunch. I'm starving."

"Well come on, then. Let's get back to the house and get some dinner."

"'Kay."

As dusk fell over the lake, they made their way inside. Walking up the dock, Carter had an impulse to reach out and take Orin's hand, but she fought it, opting instead to simply move closer to him as they walked.

And elsewhere in the world, dark forces were gathering and forming their sinister plans.

* * *

They arrived in the darkness of the night. Touching down in an airfield outside of town, they off boarded in two teams and called cabs to take them to the nearest hotel.

They were, in fact, an advance team. It was their job to recon and initiate, if need be, and another team would follow. They walked stiffly, careful not to expose the bulges under their coats. They were uncomfortable in the hot Louisiana weather, but it was a necessary price to pay.

The first order of business was to rest and assemble their things. Then, tomorrow, they would pay a visit to the local post office. They had only limited intel on Mason and the files they'd stolen unfortunately did not include an exact address for obvious security reasons.

"How you boys doin' tonight?" The hotel owner asked at the desk.

"Two rooms, please."

"Two rooms? There's an awful lotta you fellas, you sure two rooms will be enough."

Dimitri stared at the man with a gaze as hard as granite before saying, "Three rooms."

"Fill this out, if you would. Be needin' a security deposit. What you boys in town for?"

Finished with the man's question's, Dimitri reached a gloved hand into this coat. He retrieved a wad of bills and tossed them on the counter.

"Keys."

* * *

Rosie spoke very little during dinner and retired early. When Carter finally said goodnight and headed to her room, she found the girl sitting at the window, bathed in moonlight, soft and blue.

Carter let her gaze wander over the girl, mad at herself for becoming so angry when Rosie's intentions were clearly good and pure. She just didn't understand, but that wasn't her fault. Still, as much as Carter wanted to be friends with the girl, to know her, to be near her-there was something else just as strong that made her angry.

"You do not know me, Carter."

"What does it matter? You'll be back with your fancy dresses and adoring subjects soon enough."

"After what happened you think it will be that simple?"

"I don't know what happened. He said you were staying here for a while, other than that we stay on a need to know basis."

"Well I think you need to know why I am here. My name is Rosalinda Maria Montoya Fiore. I am a royal princess, heir to the throne of the island nation of Costa Luna." Rosie told Carter, rising from her bed and moving toward the other.

"I've never heard of it."

"It is not on most maps. It is very small and very unimportant to the world, but very important to me, and it has come under siege."

"By whom?"

"The military leader of our neighboring country, Costa Estrella. A man named Magnus Kane."

"You don't have to tell me this." Said Carter.

"No, I do. I must tell someone." Rosie sat down beside Carter and looked at her hands, her expression solemn. "Two days ago our palace was attacked, the throne all but stolen. Your father and Orin-Captain Traverse-were very brave. They risked their lives to save me-to bring me here."

"That's my dad's job. He gives up his life here to rescue poor princesses like you."

Once again Rosie looked hurt, and Carter wished she could put a filter over her mouth. She wished could stop being so petty and spiteful. Here she was, alone in her room with the most beautiful girl she'd ever known, and the only thing she could do was cut her with her lips. Inside, though, she found that what she really wanted to do was warm her with them.

"Did you know that I was forced to leave my mother behind? In the hands of that disgusting tyrant? He now holds her hostage, and I don't know what he's doing to her." Tears welled up in Rosie's eyes as she spoke. Carter reached up and placed one hand on the girl's shoulder in some pathetic attempt to comfort her.

"I'm sorry," Carter said softly. "I didn't know."

"They told me that becoming Rosie Gonzalez, that changing who I am and hiding was the only way to keep her safe. Cowering away when she needs me the most. And now I must wait, not knowing what the future holds, staying with people who wish I wasn't here." "No," Carter spoke up, "stop. That isn't true."

"Carter, whatever I did to make you hate me-I am truly sorry."

"I don't hate you, Rosie. I just-I'm sorry, too. I've been selfish."

"You have welcomed me into your home. I know you have a life to live, and I am thankful for everything you have done. But Carter, right now, your acceptance means a great deal to me. I will try to be better, I will try to be from Iowa. This is all I have."

Carter sat forward, even closer to Rosie. "Let's just start over," she said.

"I would like that."

"Just try to lighten up a little. I know it's different for you, but you have to stop drawing so much attention."

"Absolutely. I only want to be a typical American teenager. I only want to be…your girlfriend."

Carter's breath caught in her throat suddenly. She raised an eyebrow. "My girlfriend?"

"Yes. I know a few common sayings. I only want for us to…hang out? And…be cool?"

Carter smiled. "Yeah, we can arrange that."

"Thank you, Carter." Rosie said. She reached up and put her hand over Carter's where it rested on her shoulder. Slowly…so slowly, she scooted closer on the bed in nearly microscopic bumps of her hips-once…twice…so close that Carter could feel her breath fall upon the skin of her neck.

Rosie leaned forward and kissed Carter in the space just between the cheek and mouth, her lips just brushing Carter's own. She lingered for only a moment, secretly wishing for just a few moments more, before pulling back.

"Goodnight, Carter," she said.

When the lights went out, the two girls each lay under the covers in their respective beds, nearly sweltering in the heat that their own bodies emanated, yet terrified of being vulnerable to the air lest they hear the frantic beating of each other's hearts.


	10. Chapter 10: Silence Shattered

Chapter 10

Orin was sitting in a rocking chair in front of the bait store. The sound of the water cradled him like a silk metronome as the small waves lapped rhythmically at the dock, and the leaves all around whispered to him in a secret language. Gravity latched onto his eyelids and began a battle which he was not eager to win.

He'd woken early with a bad feeling in his gut and decided to make a few extra preparations around the house. The day spent dodging the teacher's questions at school while keeping an eye on Carter and Rosie was even more exhausting, however. Several times he'd had to stop himself from snapping the neck of an obnoxious pretty boy named Donnie that kept giving the girls a hard time. The history teacher had also started showing him an uncomfortable amount of attention. Orin had been mortified at the end of the day when Carter and Rosie hopped into the truck and somehow it had become school news.

"I hear Mr. Dawson's got a thing for you." Carter laughed.

"Oh my God!" Orin nearly yelled. That kind of humiliation wasn't exactly common for him.

"Don't worry, everybody knows he's like that. He used to get a real hard time over it, but now nobody really cares."

"Don't talk about it," Orin said before gunning the accelerator.

"Hey, anybody in the mood for a shake?" Carter asked.

"No." Orin said flatly without missing a beat, indicating that they would not be stopping.

Carter punched his arm playfully. "Oh come on! You haven't relaxed a second you've been here. I promised Rosie we'd do something today."

"Yes, it was a promise." Rosie nodded, a slight smile playing at her lips.

"And…you know…" Carter twiddled her thumbs, "it would be cool to show you around, too. We are friends, after all."

"A shake at the local malt shop? Sounds a little cliché, doesn't it? What's next, a sock hop? Catch a flick at the drive-in?"

"It's a small town, everything here is a cliché. And our drive-in rocks, I'll have you know. Come on, Orin. I know you want a double thick chocolate drizzle shake with whipped cream and a bright red cherry on top."

Orin was silent for a moment. Rosie and Carter looked at one another and smiled, certain they had him trapped.

"I like vanilla." He said, as much animation in his voice as a brown paper bag.

"Ooh, big shocker there. Don't worry, I'll get something crazy and you can have a sip, so it's not too much for you."

It wasn't a malt shop, and Orin actually found himself slightly disappointed. It was a diner, small and quaint. And the shakes were good, though the smell coming from the kitchen had Orin nearly drooling for an order of crispy chicken fingers.

They made idle chit chat. The girls did most of it as Orin sat aside watching his shake slowly drain. Carter asked about Rosie's home, and Rosie asked about life outside of Costa Luna. Orin fought the urge to roll his eyes at some of the girl talk-he was getting a crash course in cuteness as the girls appraised a few of the boys in the shop, though he noticed that their eyes lingered longest on one another. Their playfulness, their prodding, the way Carter urged Rosie to use her straw and vice versa. He saw something there, he was sure of it, but his mind stowed it away as simply none of his business.

Discretion, to Orin Traverse, truly was the better part of valor.

A time or two they tried to pry from him some information on the mind of the teenage male, which Orin refused to divulge as if he'd been taken prisoner by hostile forces.

"They're idiots. That's all you need to know."

But it was after they'd finished their shakes, when they were sitting idly and watching one another that Carter surprised him.

"What's going to happen to Rosie? Can this Kane guy really get away with this?"

"I-your dad told you about Kane?"

"I did." Rosie said, looking at her lap. "Why are you asking about this, Carter?" Questioned Orin.

"Because I want to know, I'm scared for Rosie."

Orin didn't want to say anything to frighten the girls too much, though he knew very well they should be. "You're father doesn't seem too worried."

"He never does. But I am. Can my dad actually arrest Kane?"

Orin was silent for a moment, as if trying to collect his thoughts.

"I don't know. He invaded a neighboring country and is attempting to usurp the throne. By any standards that's a grave international crime. The only problem is nobody can prove it. Nobody knows he took the palace by force or that Queen Sophia is a hostage. The Program would need help from Interpol, and they'd have to convince the UN that a foreign Head of State is a criminal before the system can begin moving. Plus, as I understand it, Kane has a much bigger presence in the UN than Queen Sophia. If he has backing from other countries, any of which would probably love to take a piece of Costa Luna…then it could spell major trouble."

"But why would anyone want my country?" Asked Rosie.

"Money and power. Kane's trying to become king legally, it's the only way he can do it without repercussion. He marries your mother and combines the kingdoms to create his own military empire. Then, he subverts the citizens, creates a communist regime and turns the country into a slave labor camp. My guess is he'd immediately begin turning the land into farms for opium and cocaine. He might auction off chunks for production to the surrounding countries and in no time he'd have his own little alliance of nations."

"But wait," Carter said, "as long as Rosie is in hiding he can't take power, right?"

"Well, as long as Sophia refuses to marry him."

"My mother would never give into him willingly." Rosie said proudly.

"And that's why he needs you alive. If we hadn't escaped Costa Luna he'd have used you to coerce your mother into marrying him. Without that leverage, he's got nothing. But it goes both ways, he's hoping you'll come back to save your mother's life."

Rosie's eyes fell. "I wish I could. But-but what if he hurts her? What if he makes her agree to marry him?"

"Then…I suppose that would be it."

"And I would have to keep hiding?"

Orin looked into the girl's sad eyes. "Yes. Forever. Under Costa Luna law as I understand it, you would still be heir to the thrown. He couldn't allow you to live, then. Your people would follow you before him."

"So he could actually win?" Questioned Carter.

"I don't think this is going to end without violence, but no. He won't win. There are no circumstances that exist under which I would ever let that happen."

Rosie's tearful gaze began to dry. She looked at Orin with a respect and trust she'd never known before. She had been so close to breaking down again, but his promise to make things right brought a calm to her shattered nerves. She couldn't explain why, but she believed him…she felt safe. And with Carter by her side as well, she felt almost untouchable.

"Why does it matter to you?" Asked Carter. "Your job is to protect Rosie, what do you care what happens in her country?"

Orin looked down into his empty glass, unsure of what to tell them. There was so much they didn't understand…so much he didn't understand himself.

"Where do you fit into all this?" Carter pressed. "You don't want to be here, so why did you take the job?"

"You're father didn't tell you about me? About what I used to do? Neither of you know?"

The two girls looked to each other, then back at him.

Carter responded, "Know what?"

"God, I shouldn't tell you this." Orin said, sitting back.

"Orin, please. You can talk to us."

He thought for a moment. Telling them the truth could end up scaring them, but he felt at long last that he'd found someone he could confide in, even if that someone was two teenage girls. He'd been out of the game for a while, and he felt it was something they needed to know.

"Okay. I suppose you have a right to know. I was an…operative. For a top secret program."

"Like my dad?"

"Not quite. I mostly ran operations overseas. I did a lot of different things, but my main job was to…lubricate the liberation of countries from violent rulers.

"What do you mean, lubricate? And what kind of job is that?"

"It was a special initiative began by the Army, sanctioned by the President and managed by a joint NSA/CIA committee. It incorporated the best trained soldiers from all branches of service. But what made it special wasn't our training, or our mission statement, or our weaponry. It was us. They could brainwash us so easily. Ship us anywhere, and no one would suspect us."

"Why?" Rosie asked. "What does that mean?"

Orin sighed. "When I was eleven years old, my parents were killed in an embassy attack in Libya. I had no other family, nowhere to go. My father's superior, Colonel Campbell, told me I could be a soldier, like my father. He told me I could be more…told me I could get revenge. I was the first agent recruited, trained, and deployed. We were children. Orphans. No one else would take us, we would've become victims of the system, anyway. So, we became killers. By the time I was your age I was running sniper missions in the Czech Republic."

"Oh my God. That's terrible…" Carter whispered.

Orin, however, went on. "Children are used as killing machines all over the world, in countries far worse than ours. The United States government believes that any nation harboring violently anti-US sentiments is ultimately a threat to our long term survival. We were at odds with several governments and rulers throughout the world, and whenever things got hot, I was activated. Wherever there was genocide, terrorism, chemical or nuclear weapons or any number of other things, I was sent in to initiate regime change or neutralize the situation. Sabotage, assist rebel forces, de-animate high value targets. A little bit like when the US helped the Afghanis fight off the invading Russian forces back in the 1980s. I've deposed many tyrants just like Kane. I didn't protect royal families…I destroyed them."

For several moments the girls just sat there, soaking in everything he had told them.

"So, now you know," he said, fully aware that he may have just destroyed any normal friendship they may have had.

"But…you weren't sent to kill me. You protected me." Rosie said.

"Yes. I haven't been a part of the program for several years."

"Why not?" Asked Carter.

Orin shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I just…had to get out. I wasn't sure they would let me, but Campbell helped me when the program was scrapped. I became a legal adult, then a civilian. Hell, I even get a pension check. I was rotting in an apartment when the old man came calling. He had a job for me. At first I told him to take a hike, but then…I don't know. I won't lie, the pay was pretty good, but it was bodyguard work, and I don't do that. But in the end, I said yes."

"Thank you, Orin." Rosie placed her hand on his. "You saved my life."

Orin tried to smile at her.

Carter narrowed her eyes slightly. "That…that's why you look so young…but also, so old."

"I guess I am young. I don't know, I haven't celebrated a birthday in a long time. But hey, don't worry about me. I had some semblance of a life. I even went to school for a few years. I stayed on base, tried to live a normal life between training and deploying. I just couldn't fully adjust, though."

"How does my dad know you?"

"He was my commander on an op a long time ago, back when he was in the regular military. He was one of the very few men who new about the program, who new how old I really was. He…he was a friend. I admired him, almost like a father figure. We were in Somalia. His team was defending an allied airbase and my mission was to eliminate a local warlord. During an attack on the base, we lost several of our squad. One of them was the first friend I'd had since joining the program. I took it pretty hard. I didn't know what to do, so Mason invited me here. He thought a nice place like Lake Monroe might ease my mind. That's when I met you for the first time, Carter. At the airport.

"I remember now. Barely, but I remember."

"But I couldn't let myself stay. I was too afraid, for some reason. I took a flight out that same night."

Orin finished talking, and no one else had anything to say. The silence was only broken when Carter got up, taking Rosie's hand and helping her up from the booth. Things were getting a little too heavy and the last thing she wanted was for Rosie's fragile calm to fall apart.

"Come on," she said. "Let's go home."

* * *

Orin bolted forward, shaken from a nightmare by some uncertain sound in the distance. Instinctively, his hand found the grip of his pistol as if he were slapping the snooze button on an alarm clock. He scanned the environment cautiously-the water, the woods, the trail. All seemed safe, and when he saw Mason approaching from the house he assumed he'd been startled by the screen door slamming shut. He looked out past the dock at the sun as it began the final phase of its descent just over the horizon.

"Orin." Mason called as he approached.

Orin rubbed his eyes. "Evening, Major."

But then, seeing the look on Mason's face, he was filled with some unnamed dread.

"What is it?" He asked. "Where are Carter and Rosie?"

He was surprised for a moment that he'd mentioned Carter. That wasn't like him. She wasn't his priority…and yet, he'd made her so.

"I don't want you to worry. It's probably nothing, okay? But I think you should know."

"What?"

"I can't get a hold of the Director or HQ. Earlier I thought it was just a bad connection or interference or at worst that their power was down. And that's probably still just the case, but I wanted to make you aware."

"Shit." Orin cursed. "Where are the girls."

"I was coming to ask you that when I saw a letter on the table. Carter wrote that they needed to relax and have some fun. It is Friday night, by the way."

"Major."

"They walked into town to go bowling, but I'll drive in and get them, okay? We'll make sure Rosie's within arms reach until communications are back up."

"Are you taking a weapon?"

"Orin, it's just a drive into town. I think you're overreacting."

The young soldier rose from his chair and started walking quickly. "I'll go," he said and looked back at Mason. "My gear is inside, there are several guns. Get one."

He left Mason at the bait store and raced for his truck, praying that at best nothing bad was going to happen and at worst that we wasn't too late to do something about it.

* * *

Carter felt happy, truly happy, for the first time in a long while. Her father was home, which was normally the only light in her life, but now she had so much more. She had a beautiful, amazing new friend whom she could actually walk into town with, talk with, laugh with. Their fingers brushed and played as they walked, but never intertwined. When things began to get serious and an emotional silence began to form, a new bout of playful grabbing and giggles would begin.

"I can't believe you've never been bowling," Carter said as they approached their lane. Rosie was still looking around the place in awe.

"You live in a royal palace on an island paradise and a ratty old bowling alley excites you. Amazing."

"What can I say? Sometimes you find beauty in places other people, for some reason, do not." Rosie said, looking into Carter's eyes. The dark haired girl looked away as she began to blush.

"You do not have a boyfriend, Carter?"

"What? Oh, that was a question. Um, no. I don't."

"I saw the way you looked at Donny at school."

"Ugh, please. Donny is…a dream, okay? He's an allusion. And in case you didn't notice, he's also a total creep."

"And what about Ed?"

"What about him?"

"He seems very kind."

"He is, but he's just a friend. We don't think of each other like that."

"I see." Rosie said, picking up a pink bowling ball and looking behind Carter. "Chelsea and Brooke are very beautiful."

Carter looked back and saw them standing near the concession bar, giggling and smiling and looking like two perfect angels. On the outside, at least. Again, Carter's cheeks flushed.

"Yeah, they are. But you stay away from them, no matter what. Okay?"

"Okay, Carter. I trust you. So, I am all yours."

Before Carter could say anything Rosie stepped up to the lane and sent the ball rolling in a perfect line dead center. Carter could barely believe it when she bowled a strike on her first ball. And not just of the night…ever.

"That's impossible."

"Wow! Nice shot, Ro!" Chelsea exclaimed. She and Brooke had walked right up behind them.

"Thank you, but I name is Rosie."

"Oh, I know," Chelsea said, walking forward and wrapping her arm around Rosie's. "Ro is our little pet name for you. See, I'm Chels, and Brooke is Brookie."

Carter's blood was beginning to boil.

"Oh, I see." Rosie said.

Brooke stepped forward and took Rosie's other arm, and she was Chelsea began essentially carrying her away.

"I love your hair, Ro." Brooke said.

"Oh, and your hair. So adorable." Chelsea piled on the praise.

Within moments they were nearly out of earshot and Carter had just sat there, paralyzed by her strange fear of Chelsea. She hated how much she still lusted over the Asia beauty, and how she was more or less a slave to it.

"What am I doing?" Carter whispered to herself. "No."

She rose from her seat and made a beeline straight for them, breaking Brooke and Chelsea's grasp and taking Rosie by the hand.

"Sorry, Chels." She said. "Not this time. You hurt me before and you won't do it to her. You two will just have to get by on your own. See you at school on Monday."

She turned and pulled Rosie away with her, leaving Chelsea and Brooke with stunned and embarrassed looks on their faces.

When they were far down the line and out of site, Carter pulled Rosie into the small hallway of a girl's restroom.

"I can't believe I did that!" Carter gasped, slumping back against the wall.

"Why did you do it, Carter?" Asked Rosie quietly.

Carter looked Rosie right in the eyes and told her exactly why. "You're all mine, remember?"

With that, Rosie kissed Carter. Full on the lips, gentle but firm, a taste of the pent up passion inside both of them. Their lips lingered, sharing warmth, until Rosie finally pulled back, aware that she'd broken the final wall between them. Her fingers remain intertwined with Carter's.

A silence filled the space between them, but neither felt the need to speak.

Then a toiled flushed. The tension broken, they were both able to smile and laugh.

"Come one," Carter said. "Let's get out of here. I'll walk you home."

"I would love that." Rosie said.

They changed their shoes and turned from their lane to leave when they walked into two large men in overcoats who barred their way. Carter immediately got a sick feeling in her stomach. She managed to look behind them and saw two more men in similar garb standing guard at the entrance.

"Carter." Rosie said, grabbing her friend.

"Princess Rosalinda, come with us, please." One of them said in a thick accent. He reached out a hand to grab her.

"No! Stop it!" Carter said, rushing forward and pounding on them furiously. She was no match for the two men, however. "She's not going anywhere!"

During her assault, she managed to push aside one of the men's overcoats, exposing a sleek black submachine gun. The man's eyes flared with fire as he tried to cover it up, but the damage had already been done. Patrons began to rise and point all around them.

Their cover blown and with no other recourse, the men pulled their weapons into plain sight. The one holding Rosie pointed his barrel upwards and tugged on the trigger, filling the bowling alley with the sound of automatic fire. The rounds tore chunks out of the ceiling and plaster rained all around.

The alley broke into chaos. Screams filled the air as the people went mad like a disturbed hornet's nest.

"Do as we say or your friend will die." One of the men told Rosie.

"Carter," the princess said, tears in her eyes, "I'm so sorry."

Carter's heart nearly sank and, for a moment, she truly thought all hope was lost when a bright light swept across Rosie's face and the men turned toward the entrance just in time to hear the monstrous explosion of a pickup truck bursting through the front doors. The entrance was obliterated in a cascade of broken glass and twisted metal. A scream punctuated the thunderous roar as the two guards were tossed into the air like rag dolls.

"You two might want to start running." Carter said.

That's when the driver side door of the truck shot open and Orin Traverse stepped out.


	11. Chapter 11: Guardian of Hopelessness

Chapter 10

Orin didn't so much step out. He flung open the door and _flew _out, his gun in his hand before his feet even hit the ground. He immediately aimed down the sights of his pistol and fired three shots at the man holding Rosie and brandishing a rather mean looking weapon. The slugs ended him immediately, two impacting his chest and one smashing through his nose. Rosie, having screamed and closed her eyes, only felt his grip slide away and heard the thump of his body as it dropped to the floor behind her

"Rosie, run!" Orin yelled as he snapped to the remaining threat, but the people in the bowling alley had begun running past to get out, blocking his line of fire.

As Rosie dashed for Orin, her would be captor reached out to grab her but found that she was just out of reach. Instead, he opted to wrap his arm around Carter before she could get away. He lifted her off of her feet and fired a volley of shots toward Orin, who dove forward to cover Rosie.

The man swept the muzzle from left to right, stitching a line across the truck's windshield but otherwise hitting only air. He considered firing another burst, but he didn't have a free hand to reload, and may need the rest of the rounds. He also couldn't risk hitting the princess, for they'd all been given explicit instructions to bring her back to Costa Luna alive and at least mostly unharmed. Left with no other recourse, he began to move through the frenzied crowd with the dark-haired girl. He would use her as a shield and as a bargaining chip, if need be.

At the same time, Orin saw the man moving away and stood up, helping Rosie to her feet and assessing her condition.

"Are you hurt?" He asked her, looking away and following Carter with his gaze as she kicked and screamed to be let go.

"I-I'm fine. But Carter."

"I got her." Orin said. He holstered his pistol and reached into the truck to retrieve his shotgun. He wasn't worried about using it even in a public space as he had it configured with a combat choke and the spread was very tight.

"Stay behind me," he told Rosie and began moving around the truck. In the corner of his eye he caught one of the men who'd been guarding the door rising to his feet. Even with broken bones and probable internal bleeding, the man still persisted.

Orin raised the barrel of the shotgun and fired, blowing the man through the glass display case in front of the pro shop. The roar of the shotgun made Rosie nearly jump out of her shoes.

They moved forward slowly, Orin keeping the shotgun at the ready. The crowd was beginning to clear, which would leave them more vulnerable to enemy fire. Emerging from the entrance area, Orin glanced to his left and saw two more men running from the far exit. He grabbed Rosie and pulled her toward the lanes, behind the ball return. A burst of automatic fire tore into the bowling balls above them, sending great chunks of hard plastic resin raining down on their heads.

He heard one of them yell at the other not to fire at the princess. That's when he made his move, unsnapping a special present from his belt and tossing it in their direction. One of the men cursed, then there was a bang like a small bomb going off and a flash of blinding light.

Orin rose to his knees, using the return for cover as he sighted down the shotgun and fired. He hit the first one high in the chest and to the left, spinning him around like a gyroscope. The man hit the ground and did not move. The other took the second blast in the stomach. He fell to his knees in agony, jerking the trigger on his weapon, spraying bullets into the air. Another shot put him on his back for good.

Orin pumped the action, sending a smoking red shell flipping into the air.

"No, no, no!" Rosie cried. "This is all my fault!"

"Cry later." Orin told her and pulled her to her feet. "Come on."

The alley was completely empty now and it would only be a matter of time before the cops showed up, though in such a small town it wouldn't be a very large force. Orin only wondered if the Sheriff's department hadn't already been neutralized by the invaders.

He and Rosie raced down the alley and caught Carter and the final abductor before he could escape through the fire exit. The girl's face was flush with anger and exertion and tears streamed down her cheeks. The barrel of the submachine gun was pressed against her temple.

"Carter!" Rosie yelled as they approached.

"Rosie! Get out of here, please!" Carter choked out.

"Drop your weapon, or the girl dies." The man said.

Orin fixed a steel gaze upon the man and set the butt of his shotgun on the ground. Slowly, he opened his hand and let it fall from his grasp.

"Send the princess to me, now!" He snarled.

"No." Orin replied.

Carter's captor pushed the barrel of the gun harder against her head. "We can do this the easy way, my friend, or the hard way."

"I like the easy way." Said Orin before he drew his pistol and put a round through the man's eyes. His hands had moved like lightning through a storm cloud.

The would-be abductor's hands slid away from Carter as he fell to the ground, dead. His weapon lay unfired beside him.

Rosie ran forward and wrapped her arms around Carter.

"It's okay," Carter told her, stroking her hair.

Suddenly, Rosie turned her wrath toward Orin. "Are you insane?" She screamed. "You could've killed her!"

"Rosie, he saved me. He saved us both."

"Let's go," Said Orin as he holstered his pistol and picked up his shotgun. "I've got to get the two of you out of town, now."

"What?" Carter asked.

"It's not safe here. I think they hit the program's headquarters. Somehow they found out where we were. I doubt this is all the men Kane sent. I've got to get Rosie as far away from here as I can, and I'm not leaving you behind, Carter."

"But…my dad. I'm not going anywhere without him."

"Shit," said Orin. In the moment he'd forgotten about Mason. "We've got to move now. Come on, they're probably already headed for the house. We've got to get there before they do. Let's go!"

When they reached Orin's truck they could hear sirens in the distance. Orin wished they were on his side, but if they were there when the police arrived, they'd be questioned and in all likelihood Orin would be put in handcuffs. They did the only thing they could-they pulled out of the alley and took off toward the house at breakneck speed.

* * *

They were blasting down Maple towards the lake when Orin jerked the wheel and turned the truck into the woods. The cab of the truck was suddenly filled with the sound of rushing leaves and the staccato thumb of branches against the windshield.

"Orin! What are you doing?"

"Taking a back road."

"There's no road here!"

"There is now," he said, his voice completely flat.

He'd scouted out a way through the woods the day he'd gotten his truck. It would lead them close enough to the house that they could sneak up on foot without being heard.

"Carter, I'm so sorry." Rosie said through her tears. "I didn't want any of this to happen. This…this is all because of me."

Carter took the girl's hand. "Hey, don't talk like that. Everything's going to be fine."

"No! Kane will find me again, I must go back to Costa Luna. It is the only way."

"Rosie, you can't! You're just upset, you're scared. You don't know what you're saying." Carter smoothed Rosie's hair with her hand, tears welling up in her eyes, as well.

"I can't allow you or your father to be hurt Carter. I must go back."

"It's not an option, Rosie." Orin spoke up.

"Orin, you do not understand! I am the cause of all of this, but if I surrender it will stop. This has to end, for you and Carter and Major Mason. But above all, I have to end this madness for my mother and my country. I have an obligation to my people!"

"Hey! Are you listening to me? Your people will only suffer more if you give yourself up. You'd be locked away in some windowless room, beaten and raped everyday in front of your mother. Is that what you want? I can stop this, but you have to be strong."

They rode on in bumpy silence accentuated only by the sound of Rosie's sobs. After a few moments, Orin began to slow the truck. He turned off the headlights as they emerged into the clearing he'd tested his weapons in the other day. He shut off the engine and hopped out. Rather and opening the passenger side door, the girls merely scooted out behind him. In the moonlight, they watched him eject the half empty magazine from his pistol and slide in a fresh one.

"Where will we go next?" Rosie asked. She looked as if she were barely able to life her head.

"We go nowhere. You and Carter are going to the nearest military base with Major Mason. From there on it's up to him."

"What do you mean, me and Carter? Orin, you're coming with us."

"No, I'm not. This whole thing was a mistake. Now come on." He said and took off walking.

"What are you talking about?" Carter asked, following right behind him with Rosie in tow.

"I shouldn't have taken this assignment, I shouldn't have come here. I screwed up, but I'm going to fix it. I'm hopping on the first flight out of the country. I'll swim to Costa Luna if I have to, and when I get there I'm going to tear Kane's heart out of his chest and show it to him before he dies."

"Are you crazy? You'd never even get close to him, it would be suicide."

"Probably, but it's all the same. All that matters now is taking him down."

"Stop talking like that, it's not all the same! You…you have a life! You have a place to be now. You don't have to leave. You don't have to be alone, you can stay here!"

"I'm not part of your family, Carter. And I'm not going to join Rosie's team of bodyguards and we're not all going to be a big happy family. There's no happy ending here, so drop it. Do you know how close you came tonight? I can't protect you, either of you."

"You did pretty damn well."

"And I liked it. That's the problem, Carter. That's what war and fighting has done to me. I can't go back to that. I don't want to be a monster."

"You're not a monster, you're amazing."

"No. I'm a machine, and a broken one at that. I was made for a specific purpose and I couldn't handle it. But I will this one last time. I promise."

"What then? You don't want anybody, you don't need anybody. What's going to happen when this is all over? Assuming you live, that is."

"Rosie's going to be queen, your dad's going to get a promotion, you're going to keep living your life, and I'm going to go crawl back inside a bottle. That's how it is. That's what I want. I told your father and now I'm telling you-this is my last mission. I'm done."

"Crawl inside a bottle? And that's it? You're just going to give it all up?"

"I gave it up. This was just a…lapse in judgment."

"Well I hope you're happy, chickenshit! Why don't you just put a gun to your head and pull the trigger?"

Traverse spun in a cold rage, his face made of stone. "I did!"

Carter stopped dead in her tracks, unable to find any words.

"I dug and I scraped and I scrounged up the courage to do myself in months ago. I pulled the trigger…and nothing happened. Misfire. And no matter how hard I try, I'm too fucking afraid to do it again. You're right, I am chickenshit. I'm a coward. But I've come to terms with it. I did my time, I made my sacrifices and I paid my dues, so get off my back."

There was a look of hurt and betrayal on her face. Her voice suddenly became soft, almost meek. "I don't understand why you would want to die."

Orin sighed, hating himself for hurting her, even if indirectly. "The things I've seen, Carter. Where I've been and the things I've done. Of course you don't understand. I once killed a man as his wife slept next to him. And I just walked away and disappeared like it was nothing."

Carter could not respond. She and Rosie could not even look him in the eye. Everything they'd had was now destroyed.

"Why are you afraid to care?" The dark haired girl finally asked.

"Because…it doesn't help me."

Rosie's tears were returning. "Please, don't go."

Orin turned away from the weeping girl, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He did care, but what they had was not forever, and he didn't want to lose things precious to him.

"Look," he told them. "We're coming apart here. Let's just keep our stuff together, get your dad, and get the hell out of here. We'll worry about everything else later. Now we've got to keep moving."

* * *

The house was dark and quiet as they approached. Orin stayed low and close to the trees and the girls followed him like a shadow, moving where he moved and crouching as he crouched. He'd warned them to do as much so they didn't inadvertently hit one of his many tripwire traps. He knew exactly where he'd placed them all and knew where to lead them on a clear path.

But something was wrong.

"Orin," Rosie said when he didn't move for a few moments.

"Something's wrong. The house shouldn't be dark. He wouldn't be in bed and he wouldn't have left."

"He could be hurt, I've got to find him." Carter said. She began to move past Orin but he grabbed her and held her back.

"Don't turn stupid now," he said with a stern edge to his voice. "You and Rosie stay here and stay down. I'll check the house. I know you're worried, Carter, but a wrong move now could get us all killed."

He was worried they'd already made too many wrong moves, but it was too late in the game to turn back now and he couldn't do anything except move forward.

Holding his shotgun at the ready, he approached the back of the house and checked the door. It was still locked, so he produced the key Mason had given him and opened it as quietly as he could. He stepped inside and scanned the kitchen. He stood still, waiting for some sound or movement, but the house was completely silent. Not even the crickets outside were in any mood for chirping that night.

Unnerved, Orin moved forward cautiously, cutting each corner with deft precision. He cleared the hallways and upstairs before returning to the back door and motioning the girls inside.

"Where's my dad?" Carter asked.

"He's not here. Think, is there anywhere else he possibly would have gone? Do you have a secret meeting place in case of emergency he might've forgotten to tell me about?"

"No, nothing like that. Maybe he came looking for us. I-"

The lights in the kitchen snapped on. Orin looked over and saw Rosie by the light switch.

"Rosie! No! They might be watching the house!" He said.

Just as quickly, the lights went off. Orin's night vision had been effectively compromised.

"I'm sorry!" Rosie said, her voice quivering again.

"It's okay, it's okay." He tried to assure her, while he waited for the colors to fade out of his view.

There was a crackle from the living room. Orin whipped up the muzzle of the shotgun and trained it at the darkness.

"You are very good, whoever you are. We thought we had the area secured and you still managed to slip by us."

Orin moved toward the voice, and only then did he see it. A small, black two-way radio sat next to the television.

"I assume you are the one who escaped my men in town, and I assume Princess Rosalinda is with you."

Orin picked up the radio but said nothing.

"I'm sure you know by now that we have Major Mason. We are willing to make a trade. His life for that of the princess."

Orin finally lifted the radio and thumbed the transmit button. "I can't do that."

"Ah. Finally, a voice to match the man. I wish I could introduce myself face to face. My name is Dimitri, I was previously employed by the Fiore family."

"We've met," Orin said, tightening his grip on the radio. "I was there when you betrayed them."

"Ah, yes. The man who foiled our plans. Captain…Traverse, was it? I remember now. I suppose I should have known. You have caused a great deal of trouble for us."

"Happy to hear it. So Kane sent you to take care of his dirty work, huh?"

"General Kane is a very busy man. I do not mind getting away from the palace, seeing a bit of the world. Did you enjoy your stay at Costa Luna, Captain?"

"Loved it, especially the part where I was almost killed."

"But you ended up doing the killing, didn't you? You can return with us, if you would like. I'm sure the good General could find many uses for a man of your abilities. Again, all you must do is surrender Rosalinda to us."

Orin didn't hesitate. "No."

"That is very disappointing to hear. Perhaps you don't appreciate the…gravity of the situation. You are surrounded, there is no escape, and we will take her by force."

"You hit the program's headquarters."

"Yes. We have everything now. Information on the worlds wealthiest royal families and the locations of their children. Soon, very soon, we will be unstoppable."

"Sounds like you've got it all figured out."

"Though, I must admit I am curious about you, my friend. There were no files on you in the data we took. Who are you?"

"Nobody special. I like long walks in the moonlight and killing bad people."

There was only silence on the other end.

Orin glanced at the girls. "Looks like I'm not cut out to be a comedian after all."

Deciding to try rationale, Orin spoke again while moving slowly around the room and looking out the windows. "Think about what you're doing. You've got dead men that are going to be investigated, and I'm willing to bet you're in the states illegally. Now you're going to cause more trouble here? That's a lot of heat to bring on yourself for one girl."

"This country's law enforcement means nothing to us. However, it is growing late and I am eager to return home. What about the dear Major?"

"He'd want me to keep Rosie safe."

"Indeed. But what about his daughter? Do you really want to put her life at risk? For the last time, give us the girl or you will die."

There was a sudden explosion from the back side of the house, muffled by the dense woodland. Orin knew the sound well. One of his claymores had been tripped. They were moving in.

"If you want her, come and get her." Orin said and tossed the radio away.

"What the hell's going on?" Carter asked.

He turned to the girls. "It looks like we're in for a fight."


	12. Chapter 12: Shadows in the Dark

Chapter 12

"Stay here." Orin said and disappeared into the kitchen. He'd stashed two cases in the laundry room and now pulled them out together. They had been incredibly heavy, but now he was able to drag them each with one hand. He let them fall on the living room carpet and knelt down.

From the first case he produced two black bulletproof vests and handed them to the girls.

"Put these on." He told them, pulling out his own tactical vest complete with ammunition pouches and fixed blade knife. He secured it first, then retrieved a pair of black shooting gloves with the thumb and index fingers cut off and slid them on.

"Carter, have you ever fired a gun?" He asked.

"Once," she replied. "My dad's got an old shotgun. It nearly tore my arm off."

"This is a little bit different," he told her, holding up his MP5K. "It won't tear your arm off, but it is ready to fire, so don't even touch the trigger until you're ready to shoot. Hold it like this, okay? Make sure you can see the bad guy through this hole in the front. Keep it near you no matter what. If anybody gets too close to the house, if you even think you see something, fire off a few rounds and call for me. And get your dad's shotgun and bring it to me."

"I don't know if I can do this."

"You have to. I need you to try to cover the other side of the house. I don't know how many guys are out there or which way they're going to come from. They're probably going to try to surround us. I also need you to take this cell phone. I hid five charges of C4 in the woods and just alongside the road. Each one's got a receiver programmed with the numbers in that phone. They're all on speed dial and ready to go, so when I tell you to, get one ready and let me know, then I'll tell you when to press send."

"Gotcha."

"What, now you're all confident?"

"Hey, it's a cell phone, I'm a teenage girl. I think I've got this one covered."

"Good."

"Carter," Rosie spoke up, "please be careful."

Orin turned to the frightened princess. "Now you. You get into the linen closet and curl into a ball as tight as you can. I would send you upstairs, but I have no idea what's going to happen and I want you close."

The sound of a car door shutting hit Orin's ears. He couldn't tell exactly how distant it was through the walls but he new they were a fair way off.

"What is it?" Asked Carter as she handed him her dad's double-barrel. Orin broke open the shotgun and checked. For some reason, he wasn't surprised to see it wasn't loaded. He slid two shells into the breech and snapped it shut.

"They're coming. You stay by the closet with Rosie until things start to heat up, then I might need you to help me hold them back."

"Okay, I think I'm ready." Carter said, tightening her grip on the submachine gun. Orin was surprised and moved by her fortitude. She was so young, and yet was so willing to fight violently for someone she obviously cared for.

Orin slid the double-barrel underneath the couch cushions and retrieved the rest of his things. His Remington bolt-action, his M4 assault rifle, extra magazines, and grenades. He ran to the kitchen and knocked out one of the screen windows. He pulled one of the chairs away from the table and knelt down behind it. He wished he had a night vision scope, but he would have to make due the best he could.

Looking through the scope of his bolt-action, he spied a flutter of movement in the moonlight. He eased back on the trigger until it broke. The crack of the rifle filled the night as he made his first kill. They were far off, but even in the distance he could see the body hit the ground. He'd hit lower than he intended to, however, and so raised the barrel slightly.

Suddenly, automatic gunfire exploded down the road, and great fiery muzzle flashes ripped open the darkness.

"Shit!" Orin cursed. There were so many of them. They must have been using small caliber weapons, as the rounds were impacting the dirt yards in front of the house. They still had ground to cover to be within effective range.

He had to hold them back.

He tracked the blooms of light from their barrels and fired whenever he had one in his sights. He aimed for upper torsos, center of mass. The slugs impacted with instant fatal results, smashing through hearts and lungs and spines. His rifle only had six rounds per magazine. He threw the bolt open on an empty chamber and pulled out the spent mag. In less than two seconds he had a fresh one in and ready to go.

"Carter! Speed dial one!" Orin shouted over the sound of gunfire.

He blasted off another round and waited for her reply.

She already had the phone in her hand and punched in the numbers. "Ready!"

"Now!"

In a moment the woods filled with light and heat as the first bomb pack went off, blowing three men into the air and illuminating an other two dozen moving towards them.

"Shit." Orin said as he locked another one in his crosshairs and took him down. There were a lot of them, more than he anticipated-enough to make him worry.

"Carter! Speed dial two!"

The blast shook the earth. Light flared and his rifle roared. He threw the bolt faster than the shells could hit the ground. Empty, smoking brass danced around his head in the frenzy of battle. Still, despite his efforts, they were moving up faster than Orin could knock them down. He continued to knock them down, but there was only so much he could do.

The explosions had to push them back. They _had _to.

"Ready!" Carter yelled.

Orin fired the final round from his sniper rifle and tossed it aside. "Now!"

Another burst of flame mushroomed up into the night. Orin raised his M4 and used the light to pick off two more and take a quick count. Given enough time and ammo, it was possible he could take all of them approaching from the north. He didn't know how many were moving in from behind, though.

He heard glass shatter on the other side of the house. Carter's screams rang through the air, joined by a volley of shots that he could only hope were coming from her. There was a loud grunt and Orin knew she'd hit the guy. He dropped his M4, grabbed his shotgun and bolted from one side of the house in what seemed like only two or three steps. He rounded a corner with the barrel of the 12-gauge leveled and fired as soon as he saw the dark figure, blowing the man out another window and back into the night.

"Carter! There are too many damn windows in this house!" He yelled.

"It's lakefront property, what do you expect?" She yelled back.

Automatic gunfire came blazing out of the woods, the muzzle blasts creating a strobe effect in yellow and orange that made everything look as though it were moving in slow motion. Orin crouched and moved behind the doorway to the kitchen. The heavy rounds tore through the wall above his head, raining plaster and splinters down upon him.

He rose slightly and emptied the shotgun into the rustling leaves outside. Men screamed and more gunfire tore through the house.

"You said they wouldn't hurt Rosie!" Carter screamed.

"I guess there was a change of plans." Orin said, the pulled pin of a MK3 concussion grenade between his teeth. He rose and threw it out the window like a baseball . He didn't want to chance using a fragmentation grenade so close to the girls. The concussion grenade exploded with a tremendous roar followed by agonized shrieks and profanity.

Rounds were coming from the front now, also. Orin turned and snatched up his M4, letting it go on a full auto burn through the window, cutting down those closest to the house. Sweat poured down his face as he ducked to reload. There just wasn't enough time.

"Carter! Do the rest of them, right now!"

He came up firing bursts through the window to try to keep them back. Then, one after another, more flames began lighting up the night. Blast after blast sent massive shockwaves in all directions, making the walls tremble. He took down as many as he could in the light but they were getting closer and he was unable to lay down enough suppressive fire to keep them back.

A familiar, hollow sound came from the woods and Orin knew they were in trouble. "Get down!" He yelled out as the blast hit about five feet from the house, shattering the remaining windows. They were throwing or firing stun grenades. Orin felt sick from the blast, and he wondered how much time they had left. One thing seemed certain-win or lose, this fight was over.

"Carter! Rosie!" He shouted, leaving his post in the kitchen to protect them in the living room. "Are you okay?"

Somewhere behind him a gunshot rang out and dull pain shot through his back. He'd been shot. He spun around and took another round to the chest, knocking him backwards over the couch. The guy must have gotten onto the second floor from the outside because he had fired from the top of the stairs.

Orin felt as though he'd been hit by a baseball bat or caught in a giant mousetrap. Dull pain flared through him from both sides, but he reached between the couch cushions and came up swinging with Mason's double-barrel. He fired both loads up the stairwell. The man above fell back hard and came tumbling down the steps, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

Orin was relatively sure his vest had stopped the rounds, but his insides still ached. His health could wait, however.

"I'm sorry, Orin." Carter whimpered in the darkness.

Traverse spun in time to catch the sizzling barbs of a taser in his right arm and shoulder. Waves of white hot pain overcame him, making his muscles spasm and seize until he was on the ground. He was quickly overcome by their attackers. Heavy combat boots slammed into his sides. He could do nothing to rise or protect himself as the blows rained down.

"Stop!" A voice barked from the shadows, full of power and authority.

The only familiar man in the room stepped forward, his fingers curled around Rosie's throat. Dimitri, the one who'd betrayed her and her mother. He looked down at Orin with a satisfied grin on his face.

Carter was in the hands of another one behind them. "I'm sorry. I was holding Rosie when they came up behind me." "It's okay, Carter." Orin wheezed through his pain. "It's okay. You did great. We put up a hell of a fight."

"Yes, you did." Said Dimitri. "Irritating, but quite admirable. But the fight is over, Captain. We have what we came for."

"Let Mason and his daughter go. We lost, Kane won. There's no reason to hurt them now."

"I'm sorry, Captain, but the Major is to return with us to Costa Luna. We had instructions to capture him as well in case we were unable to acquire the princess. The General has known how close he and Queen Rosalinda are for quite some time now. Try not to worry, he will not suffer long. You and the young Mason, however, I cannot say. I leave you in the capable hands of my second in command, Ernesto."

"Carter, no!" Rosie tried to protest but was cut off as Dimitri's hands tightened around her jugular.

"Rosie! Please, don't hurt her!" Carter begged. The man holding her, Ernesto, bent her arm and flashed a toothy grin as she screamed, the faint light glinting off his gold incisor.

"You bastards!" Orin raged. "You're going to kill a child? She can't hurt you. You deal with me."

"I'm not going to do anything, Captain. I must be going, I have a precious package to deliver to the General. I'm sorry I cannot stay to watch your final moments."

He walked over to Carter and ran a hand over her cheek. "And hers. Goodbye."

"We'll be seeing each other again soon." Said Orin.

One of the men turned to Ernesto. "You've got sixty minutes. Be back at the airfield within the hour."

"Help me get them to the boat. I'll dispose of them in the lake." Ernesto said.

Carter and Rosie cried out for one another as Rosie's voice slowly faded. Strong, rough hands ripped the barbs from Orin's arm and turned him over. His hands were bound behind his back by coarse rope. He gritted his teeth as they began to drag him across the floor.

"Stop it!" Carter demanded. "You're hurting him."

"I haven't begun." Ernesto laughed as he gripped her tighter and bound her hands as well. His roaming fingers took the time to violate her dignity. She screamed for him to stop and he backhanded her across the face before pushing her out the door.

"Why don't you come hit me again, you son of a bitch?" Orin called out as he was drug through the dirt.

"I'll be with you soon enough."

They were drug down the dock and thrown onto an ancient wooden tugboat with a single pilot cabin in the center. One of the two men who dropped Orin on deck gave him one last kick in the gut before they left and returned to the trucks.

"I haven't been night fishing in quite some time. This should be fun." Ernesto taunted them before cranking the engine.

Carter's hopes plummeted as they slowly pulled away from the dock and her home. She laid her head against the rough wood of the deck and let the tears flow freely down her cheeks. "She's gone. She's gone and there's nothing we can do. And my dad! They're going to kill him, Orin." She groaned.

"Don't give up, Carter," Orin told her, his voice even and steady. "It's not over yet."

But Carter took little solace in his words, for there were no heroes left to save them, and no one to hear her cries for help as the boat slowly disappeared into the night.


	13. Chapter 13: Fire on the Water

Chapter 13

Low, dark storm clouds were rolling over the water, slowly covering the lake like an electric blanket. Intermittent veins of lightning arced across the distant sky, illuminating the night in neon purple. Ernesto was whistling inside the boat cabin, the slow tune drifting out the open door and merging with the low rumbling of the motor and the sound of the water splashing below. Orin could still hear Carter whimpering, but she'd turned her head from him so as not to let him see her cry. His arms were pulled up behind him painfully, but of his own accord. He was digging into the bullet hole in the back of his vest.

Above and around the, thunder rolled.

"Orin," Carter finally whispered. "I'm scared."

"I know."

"Should we jump out?"

"Not now. Even if we didn't drown he'd kill us in the water."

"He's going to hurt us, isn't he?"

"Roll onto your side," Orin commanded, "put your back against mine."

She thought to ask why, but instead kept her mouth closed and did as she was told. "What are you doing?"

"We've gotten this far, I'll be damned if I'm we're going to die out here in the dark at the hands of this asshole." He said, displaying a fierceness and strength of confidence she'd barely ever seen from him.

With a quiet grunt, he finally pried it free. The slug that had impacted his vest was smashed and twisted. He ran one finger around its distorted edge, testing its jagged teeth. It would have to do. He grabbed the rope binding Carter's hands and began to work the slug against it furiously, slashing the fibers the best he could.

"Pull the rope tight," he instructed, and she did so. There just wasn't enough time. "Listen to me, he's got to get back soon so he won't take us too far from the dock. It's probably still in sight. When I make a move, you jump overboard and swim for shore as fast as you can. As soon as you hit land, head for town and get the cops to the nearest airfield."

"What if they're already gone with Rosie? What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. If they're gone you've got to get in touch with Colonel Campbell at Fort Bragg. Remember that. Tell him Rosie and your dad have been taken."

"But you-"

"Promise me, Carter!" Orin ordered just before the engine was cut off and near perfect silence overtook them. "Damn."

"I promise," she whispered. Orin heard Ernesto's whistling grow louder and he put the jagged slug into Carter's hand and rolled back onto his belly. He was nearly through the rope, he'd just needed a little longer. Now, their captor was back with a machete in his hand and an emergency flare tucked into his belt.

"You know," Ernesto said as he lifted them onto their knees, "I was having a hard time deciding how to make you suffer. I even brought a tank of gasoline with the thought that I might listen to you burn alive. How does that sound to you, Captain?"

"Sounds delicious, I've always wanted to be served extra crispy."

Ernesto did not laugh. "Then I thought I would have more fun chopping you into pieces and feeding you to the fish. It would be much more fun if we were in the ocean, but I suppose I'll have to settle for this. I only wish I had more time to enjoy it. I truly wanted you to suffer, but if I kill you quickly perhaps I'll still have time to play with the girl."

"I think you'll find I don't die so easily." Orin said, staring him straight in the eye.

"And what will you do? Hmm?" Ernesto asked. He pulled the flare from his belt and struck it with the cap. The end burst into red, fiery life, illuminating the deck. The man grabbed Carter by the hair and pulled her to him. He moved the sparking flare closer to her face and laughed as she tried to pull away.

"You'll do nothing. I could burn her face off and make you watch!"

"Carter." Orin said. He needed to make sure her hands were free so she would at least have a chance.

"Almost." The girl said. Her eyes were closed and her head turned away from the tip of the flare the kept moving every closer.

"I could strip the skin from her bones and you could do nothing to stop me!"

"Carter!" Orin yelled.

"I got it!" She screamed out as her hands finally popped free.

Orin rose to his feet and ran full force into Ernesto, catching him square in the gut. At once Carter came free and the flare went rolling across the deck, causing shadows to come alive in a frenzied dance. She stood up and watched as Orin and Ernesto wrestled on the ground, wondering what she could do to help.

After knocking their captor down, Orin had managed to get his hands in front of him, though he'd nearly dislocated his shoulder in the process. He tried to defend against Ernesto's attacks but was distracted when he saw Carter heading towards them.

"Carter, no! Get off the boat! Now!" He roared and caught a punch that nearly knocked him out. With a burst of strength he lifted his feet and kicked the big man away. His vision blurred and the world spun, but he managed to regain his bearings and get to his feet.

Before the struggle, Ernesto had set the machete upon the deck, but now it was back in his hand and he was headed toward Carter.

"Just go!" Orin yelled, then turned his attention toward Ernesto. "Hey, asshole! We're not done yet."

Ernesto faltered for just a moment, and that was all the time Carter needed to turn and dive off the boat into the cold, dark waters. Ernesto bellowed in outrage and turned his furious gaze to Orin. There was nothing on the deck of the boat which he could use as a weapon.

"Shit!" He cursed and ran headlong toward the boat's cabin. He dove into the air and sailed through the front window, shards of jagged raining all around and cutting him. He hit the floor hard but managed a half roll to keep from breaking any bones. He was hurting, but still, he knew it was better than facing a machete bare handed. The back of his head hit something hollow sounding and hard. He looked back and saw two red steel gas cans.

In a moment, Ernesto's ugly face appeared in the window, a grin painted across it. Orin grabbed one of gas cans and hurled it with all of his might. It was only a quarter or so full, but it caught the big man square in the forehead and bounced back through the window. The cap, not properly screwed on, flew off the can, splattering the liquid inside all about the cabin and onto Orin.

Ernesto shot back from the force of the blow, hitting the deck hard. He sat up and began rubbing his head when he spied the flare burning bright red and still rolling around the deck.

Orin looked up and was about to go for the oar hanging from the wall when the flare came flipping through the broken window, causing the volatile fuel to ignite the interior of the cabin, instantly setting the ship alight. Orin had rolled to the side and covered his face. He felt the gasoline light up on his back, but rolled over immediately and managed to choke out the flames. Looking for a piece of glass with which to cut his bindings, he found that there was no usable shard not aflame with a sizzling coating of burning liquid. He knew he would be hurt either way, but he skimmed his rope-bound wrists across the burning floor, soaking up some of the gasoline. When he rose from the ground, the rope was fully alight, causing terrible pain to the flesh of his battle-hardened hands. He pulled and pushed with all of his might, feeling the fibers of the rope begin to snap under the force. He was nearly free, but the flames were becoming greater and more fierce all around him. Smoke was already beginning to fill his lungs, and his eyes felt as though they were on fire as well.

Ernesto was laughing outside as he approached the side door of the cabin. He could not see Orin inside, only the burning flames.

"What was it you said, my friend? Extra crispy? Hmm, I love the smell of burning flesh. Killing works up quite an appetite."

Suddenly, the door exploded open, catching Ernesto full in the face. The machete went flying off into the darkness as he stumbled backward, holding onto his broken and bloodied nose with both hands. He looked around the deck for his weapon, unaware that it was sinking to the bottom of the lake, when Orin emerged from the conflagration, his gaze locked squarely onto his adversary.

"Eat this!" He said and swung the burning oar like a baseball bat, smashing the flaming paddle end into the side of Ernesto's face. Flaming splinters exploded into the air as the man slammed into the port bow, spitting out teeth.

"You should have let the girl go." Orin said, dropping the oar shaft.

"You are a fool. We have the princess."

"It doesn't matter. I may have failed to protect her, but I won't fail to save her. After I'm done with you, I'm going after your boss."

Ernesto let out a low growl that built into a guttural roar. "You will die!" He howled and ran straight for Orin.

Orin shifted his weight and caught Ernesto's outstretched hands as they reached to ensnare him. He twisted his body and sent the man flying through the broken window into the hell of the flaming cabin.

"After you!" Orin cried. He ran as fast as he could and dove off the side of the boat just as the second gas can inside exploded.

The great orange explosion sent ripples across the lake and light up the night sky as if it were high noon. Orin swam underwater as far away from the wreckage as he could and surfaced to see flaming debris floating all about.

"Orin!" Carter cried out from somewhere to his left.

"Carter! Where are you!"

"Orin, thank God you're all right. I thought you were still on the boat."

"Barely. I'm going to have trouble sitting down for a week or so."

"Why?"

"My ass is medium rare. Where's the dock?"

"This way, behind us. I can see the light. What happened to-"

"Dead. Come on."

They swam to shore and nearly passed out once their feet were on dry land.

"I'm sorry, Carter." Said while panting for breath.

"Don't say that. This wasn't your fault."

"But what's happened. To Rosie, to you. On the boat. You shouldn't have had to go through that. It could've been a lot worse."

Without warning she enveloped him in her arms, taking him by complete surprise.

"Hasn't anybody around here ever heard of a handshake?" He asked.

"Just shut up, Orin. I don't care about what could've been. I don't care about the pain. I care about Rosie and my dad and you."

"I…I-"

"You're going to live. And you're going to get your crap together. And you're going to bring them back."

Orin slowly wrapped his arms around the girl and held her. Whatever there was between her and Rosie-he didn't know-but her father was all she had in this world, and he'd be damned if he'd let that get taken away.

"Yeah." He said. "And I'm assuming it's useless to tell you to stay here."

She stepped away and managed a slight smile. "Damn right."

"Okay," Orin sighed. "I need you to direct me to the airfield anyway. Come on, I need to get my gear."

"Your truck's so far away."

"We'll take your dad's Jeep. Get the keys and I'll meet you out there."

They worked swiftly, knowing that with every moment, Rosie and Mason were slipping ever father from their grasp. Orin knew that the town's emergency services and law enforcement would be busy at the bowling alley, and it would be useless to try to alert them now. They were on their own.

With a clap of thunder and a flash of lightning, the sky opened up and it began to rain.

* * *

There were two administrative buildings set across from one another at the front of the small airfield. Both were closed at that time of night, but one of the hangars in the distance was alive with light. Dimitri and two of his men had taken shelter inside one of the buildings with Rosie until the plane was prepped for takeoff. He left the rest of his men on guard at the field entrance. Two of the planes originally intended for transport would be left, as nearly all of Dimitri's team had been eliminated in their efforts to retrieve the girl.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He had six men left alive and Ernesto wasn't even back yet. How could one man have caused them so much trouble? Dimitri was certain of one thing, when all was said and done he would be taking a long vacation.

Rosie sat in an office chair, her hands tied in front. Her former chief of security and two other men paced back and forth, waiting for the call from the hangar.

"How could you do this, Dimitri? How could you betray my family?"

"Money, for starters, princess. A great deal of money. However, I am sorry you cannot see the bigger picture here."

"What picture?"

"That you have no place bringing a country to glory and greatness. Costa Luna would be swallowed eventually. If not by Costa Estrella, than by some other country. And your economic alliance with the US only furthers to sully your image. Democracy? It is such a childish invention. When Kane comes to power, I believe he will make us a force to be reckoned with in the world."

"He's a tyrannical madman. A killer!"

"Who better to lead us? We are such a small nation, no one even knows we exist. But once our nuclear capabilities are at full function, perhaps we can carve a better place for ourselves."

"That's what this is about? A distorted sense of patriotism?" Asked Rosie.

"What is more distorted, princess, than believing that we can all get along and exist peacefully with one another? That foolish fantasy will spell the end for us all. Kane has showed you that truth, has he not? There will never be enough room at the table for everyone, and those who fight are those who will eat. I believe that with time you will come to understand. You may even forgive me."

"You killed my friends. I will never forgive you."

"Have it your way.

Rosie looked into his eyes. "You will pay for this, somehow."

He approached the girl and pulled a dagger from his belt. He held the blade to her face, running the razor sharp edge along her cheek. "We all have sins to atone for. I do not think myself different. But my sins are my choice, and I will meet any consequences on my own terms."

A crackle of static cut the air around them as the radio on Dimitri's belt burst to life.

"We're ready to load up here." A tinny voice came through the speaker.

Dimitri grabbed the radio and held it to his lips. "Copy that. Carlito, round everyone up and get to the hangar."

No reply came from Carlito or any of the men guarding the gate.

"Do you copy?" Asked Dimitri.

Only static.

"Damn it. It must be the weather."

"Or something else," Rosie said, lifting her chin defiantly. "Your last man has not yet returned."

Dimitri formed a grimace and poked the radio at her face. "Traverse is dead!"

He grabbed her arm hard enough to bruise and lifted her to her feet. "Get to the car!" He snarled at his men. "We will radio again at the hangar. If they do not answer, we will leave without them."

Dimitri handed her off to one of his men as they opened the door and stepped outside. The rain had become a steady downpour, soaking them almost instantly.

The man gripping her arm scanned the shadows around them, his hand underneath his jacket in case he had to pull his weapon quickly.

"Damn this rain." Dimitri cursed as the first of his men reached the black Sedan out front.

The man had just grabbed the door handle when Rosie heard a strange sound from somewhere across the way. Before she had time to look for it, a quarter sized hole erupted from the man's back, ragged pieces of flesh and fabric spitting blood into the night. His limp form fell backwards onto the sidewalk, a bright red stain blooming across his shirt from the entry wound just left of center.

"He's alive!" She said to no one.

"Impossible." Dimtri yelled, stepping back from the body and pulling his pistol. "Where the hell is he?"

The man beside her pulled his submachine gun and shoved the barrel into her ribs as Dimitri pulled a radio from his belt.

"Carlito! He's out there somewhere. Hit him, damn it! Find him and take him down! Carlito!" Dimitri tried in vain, but got no response.

"He's dead! They're all dead!" The other man bellowed. "Get back inside the-"

He didn't have time to finish his sentence before the sound came again. Instantly, the top of his head opened up in a burst of red mist. He fell to the ground, the gun falling with him into the wet grass.

Rosie thought for a split second about going for it, but before she could even act Dimitri's hand was tangled in her hair, jerking her so hard she was afraid he'd break her neck. He held her in front of him like a shield, his pistol shoved into her temple. She screamed in pain but he held her firm, thumbing back the hammer.

"Do it and she dies, Traverse! Do you hear me? Try it and she's dead! Come out right now, you son of a bitch!"

The next moment stretched on for so long it felt as though minutes had passed in just a few seconds. The only sound in the night was the thrumming of the rain and the sound of her own frenzied breathing. She felt the spaces of stillness between the beats of her heart and somehow knew he was going to take the shot. She couldn't explain how, but she became relaxed and calm and turned her head as far as she could, bringing Dimitri's gun hand to the side.

She didn't even hear the sound of the shot that time, she only felt a strange vibration near her head before the pistol hit her shoulder and then the ground at her feet.

Dimitri was screaming.

"No! No!" He raged, holding the spurting stump that used to be his hand.

Rosie backed away from him as he tried to hold together what was left of the ravaged limb. Then, suddenly, his eyes were on her and full of a fiery hatred she'd never seen before. She feared that he was going to bolt after her and she backed up further. Her heel hit something soft and she went down on the soaking wet lawn, having tripped over the body of one of her abductors.

She looked at Dimitri, wondering if she could possibly make it to the submachine gun before he was on her, but then his eyes shifted across the street and squinted. Rosie followed his gaze to the building and saw a lone figure emerge from the darkness of the open doorway. He walked slowly and deliberately down the steps to the walkway, dressed in a tattered combat vest and wearing a facemask. A rifle was slung over his back.

"All right, let's see how fast you are." Dimitri rasped, the agony of his decimated hand momentarily forgotten in favor of sweet revenge.

In a flash he whipped aside his jacket and snatched at another pistol, this one a backup situated to be drawn by his right hand. Before Rosie could think to yell out the pistol was slipped free of its leather holster and brought into the air, the fire inside ready to be unleashed.

He was fast, but Orin was faster.

The masked shooter's 1911 was already up and before Dimitri could aim down his sights three shots caught him full in the chest. More blood stained the chaotic night.

Dimitri staggered backward and hit the front steps of the house. He looked down at his fatal wounds in awe.

Across the street, Orin reached up and pulled the black balaclava from his head, drops of water splashing off of his hair in tiny drops. He looked into Dimitri's eyes for only a moment, and saw that Dimitri had accepted his defeat.

Orin raised the pistol again the put a round between the man's eyes.

It was over.

He crossed the street and helped Rosie up. "Are you okay, did they hurt you?" He asked as he produced a knife from his vest.

"No. I am fine." She told him, holding her hands apart as he cut the rope from her wrists. As soon as she was free she wrapped her arms around his midsection. "I…I thought…"

This time Orin did not resist. He held her to him and wondered how it was he had come to care for her and Carter so much. He'd been on dangerous assignments all over the world, and his two best friends were a couple of teenage girls.

"Don't think about it. It's over. We're going to find Major Mason and get you somewhere safe. They won't find you again. I promise."

"And you'll stay."

He looked down at the girl, unsure of whether or not to lie. "Yeah," he said, "I'll stay."

Rosie looked around suddenly, a renewed energy in her eyes. "Where's Carter? I have to see her."

"She's fine. I left her in the Jeep just up the road. I'll take you to the gate, then I have to find Mason. Come on."

They turned to leave when the radio on Dimitri's corpse crackled to life once again.

An evil voice floated through the air, bringing another nightmare to life.

* * *

Carter emerged from the darkness into the light of the hangar soaked to the bone and dripping water on the dry concrete floor. Orin had told her to stay in the Jeep, and she'd agreed in deception. He would not take her directly into harm's way, but she would not sit by if there was even the slightest chance she could find her father. She believed in Orin and his abilities, but even he might end up being too late, and it was better that she act now while he had the attention of their enemies.

"Dad?" Carter rasped into the cold air. The hangar appeared deserted, but she didn't want to walk into the open, so she stuck to the shadows the best she could. There was only one plane open inside the hangar, it's stairway leading up into darkness. Carter thought that surely they would leave someone behind to guard Mason. Unless he was unconscious…or worse.

Carter couldn't risk calling any louder, so she decided to throw caution to the wind and venture into the light. She made a quick dash to the plane and took too tentative steps up toward the darkness.

"Dad?" She once again called.

A muffled cry issued forth, and as she peered into the tenebrous cabin of the plane she could barely make out her father's face, wide eyed with mouth taped shut.

"Dad!"

She ran forward into the cabin and knelt down beside him. She checked his hands, hoping to untie him, but found that he was in handcuffs. The tape at his mouth had peeled free at one corner and she gripped it with thumb and forefinger.

"Sorry, Dad." She said before ripping it off.

"Carter! Get out of here, now! Run!"

"But-"

"Do it! Go!"

She didn't question any further, but turned and started down the steps of the plane. Her efforts were in vain, however, as she finally came face to face with the cause of all the chaos.

"Well, well. It is so very nice to make your acquaintance, my dear." General Magnus Kane stood next to his pilot at the base of the stairs, a grin as bright as the moon spread tight across his face. "This is truly a treat. I'm so pleased I decided to come and see this place for myself."

"Sir," the pilot spoke, "the advance team should've been here by now."

"Yes, I am aware. We will leave without them. They are either dead or in the hands of the authorities of this strange little town. In both cases useless to me."

"The princess, sir."

"If the agent protecting her is indeed still alive, we haven't the manpower left to take him, and our presence is surely known by the local law enforcement. Besides, I have more than enough to use against Sophia now."

"What are you talking about?" Asked Carter.

"Dimitri told me of how close your father and Queen Sophia became during his time protecting them. He even told her of you, if I'm not mistaken. I threatened her own people in front of her and she did not break, but now I have found someone she really does care about." Kane drew his saber from it's sheath and directed the pointed end at Carter's face. "Now, if you would be so kind, I would prefer not to stain the royal jet with your blood."

* * *

Orin grabbed the radio from Dimitri's body, breaking the clip in the process.

"Where are you, you son of a bitch?" He snarled furiously into the receiver.

"So close and yet so far, Captain. Is Princess Rosalinda with you?"

"Yeah. We're with the rest of your men. Why don't you pop your head out and say hello?"

"I wish I could, but I'm afraid I have guests to entertain. Perhaps you know them."

"You're lying. You don't have the girl."

"Perhaps you are not as smart as I thought." Kane chuckled.

As soon as heard Carter's cries of pain, he also heard the roar of engines in the distance. The rain had masked the sound of startup, but now the plane was rolling from the hangar, already picking up speed down the runway.

"No! No! No!" Orin roared in impotent defiance as the plane lifted into the air. He dropped the radio and took several large strides forward. He pulled his pistol and fired the remaining rounds in the magazine at the jet, knowing full well that none of them would hit. The pistol clicked empty and he let it fall to his side as he grabbed his forehead and growled in outrage.

"Carter! Damn it!"

Rosie had picked up the radio and was now pleading to Kane. "Please! Please bring Carter back! I will go with you willingly! I'm begging you! Don't hurt her!"

"No harm will come to her, Princess, if you do as I say. You have twenty four hours to return to Costa Luna and surrender yourself at the palace. You are not to show your face or say anything to anyone. I am willing to trade their lives for yours."

Orin took the radio from Rosie's hands and spoke through gritted teeth. "Maybe I should pay you a visit instead, you bastard."

"You have no cards to play, Captain Traverse. Bring her to me and bow at me feet and perhaps I may yet allow you to live under my employment. Otherwise, we will settle up in due time."

The radio static fell to dead air as Kane severed the connection.

Orin looked upward and outward, tracking the blinking lights of the wings as they slowly faded into the sky. "Sooner than you think, Kane."

"What will we do? We have to get Carter back, Orin. We have to!"

Orin grabbed Rosie's shoulders to keep her from breaking down entirely. "We will, I swear it. I have to get a hold of Colonel Campbell. I've got a plan."

"What plan?" Rosie questioned, her curiosity stifling her tears for the moment.

"We're heading to the nearest military base, then we're getting on the first flight out of here."

Rosie was struck by an instant of near panic. "What? Where are you taking me?"

He looked into the girl's eyes.

"Home."

Please excuse any abundance of errors, I finished this chapter rather quickly.


	14. Chapter 14: Prisoners in a Nightmare

Chapter 14

Kane sat back with a glass of champagne in his hand as Carter knelt beside her father, tending to the cut above his left temple that still trickled blood down his weary face. Every so often she cast steely glances toward the general, wishing there was something she could do. They hadn't bothered to restrain Carter as she had been cooperative and they were now over a thousand feet in the air. Her father, however, was shackled at the wrists and feet and lie on his side grimacing in pain as he tried to get comfortable.

"Would you please take these off of him?" Carter entreated.

"He will be freed when we arrive at the palace."

"He's in pain," said Carter with fire burning in her eyes.

Kane turned a sadistic grin her way. "I know," he said. "I only wish it were a longer flight."

"Why are you doing this? Why would you want to hurt someone like Rosie?"

"Foolish girl. She is nothing. If it were any different she could live her life in opulence and comfort and I would not care a bit. But in these circumstances she stands in my way, and nothing shall prevent me from recognizing my destiny as a great ruler."

"You can't rule people with violence and fear," Carter said.

Kane stared straight into her brown eyes. "Violence and fear," he said, "are the only ways to rule. There is an old saying by a poet named Lucius Accius-_-oderint dum metuant_-let them hate so long as they fear. You could never begin to understand these matters. Where have you been in your life? What have you seen, hmm? What were you meant for? Nowhere and nothing."

It was very early morning and the sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. When Kane's attention returned to the view outside, Mason looked to his daughter as she dabbed at the wound on his head. "Carter, what in the world were you thinking? Where's Rosie?"

"She's safe, Dad. She's with Orin."

"And you should be too. You shouldn't have come looking for me."

"I know, I was stupid. But what was I supposed to do? You're all I've got."

"You were supposed to stay safe. You're all I've got, too. But we're going to make it through this together, okay?"

"Okay." Carter nodded, but inside she wasn't so sure. She looked back on the life she'd mostly hated until recently. She thought of the lonely days waking up to an empty house, eating breakfast alone and getting on the bus to go to a school where she was largely derided and dismissed by her peers. She looked back on that life with longing in her heart because it suddenly struck her that all of that could be gone for good. She may never see Lake Monroe again. She'd never again tell Ed to put down his stupid camera or watch with misguided lust as tall, beautiful Chelsea and Brooke glided down the hallways of her school.

She was frightened most by the thought of never again seeing Rosie's face, hearing her bittersweet voice or feeling her porcelain skin. The only solace she had was the knowledge that the girl was safe with Orin. After what had happened on that boat, she now trusted him beyond reason.

_Forget about me, Orin_, she thought.

Yet, somehow, she knew he would never do that.

And her hope lived on.

* * *

Orin and Rosie sat at the front of the small transport plane that was taking them to Costa Luna. Orin had the receiver of a green satellite phone glued to his ear. He had just finished telling Colonel Campbell of the events that had transpired in Louisiana.

"My God. Orin, the princess…"

"She's with me. She's safe and uninjured."

"You shouldn't have taken her. In Costa Luna she'll be in even more danger."

"I know, but there was no way she was staying and there was no way I was going to leave her, not now. Plus, we're going to need her."

"What kind of plan could possibly involve her?"

"I'll tell you when we land. What about your end?"

"We don't have any military bases in Costa Luna, but we do have a small satellite operations outpost. There's a runway next to the facility for flying in supplies and equipment. You've been cleared and they've been instructed not to leave or call out from the facility. No one should know you're there when you touch down. "

"Backup?"

"I'm sorry, Orin, but you're on your own. No one would clear a military operation of any kind on such short notice."

"Damn it, even after all that's happened?"

"I don't know what to tell you. It's not like the old days anymore. The US is being scrutinized by the entire world, we have to deal with things as diplomatically as possible."

"Even if it means innocent people dying and the bad guys winning?"

"Yes, Orin. You've always known that."

Orin gritted his teeth and looked at Rosie, trying to show her strength. Her face was a potent mix of agony and depression. Her gaze fell to the floor of the aircraft.

"What about the Costa Luna forces?"

"They don't have much of a standing military, but I spoke directly to an old friend of mine, Brigadier General Alvarez. He's going to meet us with a platoon of men."

"Colonel, is there any chance he could reveal us to Kane?"

"No, I trust Alvarez completely. He helped us out a great deal during the Gulf War. But Orin, it's all a moot point. There's no way they will ever go along with us. There's no proof that Kane is even in the country, he's flown completely under the radar."

"That's what Rosie's for."

There was a moment of silence. "Of course," Campbell said, finally.

"It's all we need to make them believe the throne is in danger."

"You want to set up an assault on the palace?"

"Yes, tonight."

"Orin, nothing has changed. We could've convinced them of Kane's presence days ago and set up a rescue mission, but the queen would have been executed. The whole point of maintaining secrecy was to keep the royal family alive."

"I know, but Mason and Carter are a part of it now. Kane is going to use them to force Queen Sophia into marriage, and he just might succeed. But that's beside the point. I can't sit by anymore. I won't let them be hurt. You and I both know a conventional attack would probably fail, but now I'm going in."

"United States intervention is not sanctioned."

"I don't care. Besides, I don't work for the government anymore. I'm doing this for Carter and Rosie."

"I…I understand Orin. Where are you now?"

"We're approaching the Gulf. Kane is probably already back the palace. Damn it, we should go now, but I need the cover of nightfall."

"Try not to worry. He won't kill them so soon."

"You're not helping," Orin said dryly. "By the way, I had to leave most of my stuff behind. I'm not equipped for-"

"I'll bring a full kit with me," Campbell cut him off. "Listen, try to get some rest. It will take all day just to get things ready. I'm going to get a jet prepped as soon as I hang up. I'll see you in Costa Luna."

With that, Orin shut down the satellite phone and sat back next to Rosie. She slumped over and laid her head on his shoulder, her long auburn hair falling across her face.

"That didn't sound good," she said. Her voice was labored and weak.

"No, it's fine. Everything is working, Rosie. I promise."

"Really?" she asked, her spirits lifting just slightly.

"Yeah. The waiting is the hardest part, but everything is being laid out for when we land. I'm going to need you to help me. Some royal troops are going to meet up with us later today. I need you to tell them all that has happened. We need to convince them to attempt a rescue tonight."

"You just said that would fail."

"I don't know how many men Kane has with him, but the palace is a fortress. I'm sure he could hold off an attack for awhile."

"Then how-"

"I'm going in alone. With the troops drawing heat at the gates, I can get in unseen."

"You're putting yourself at great risk. Isn't there any other way?" Rosie asked.

"I wish there were, but the military in your country is very small, and none of them have the training that I do. It's not a perfect plan, but I can make it work. I have to. It's all we've got."

"I trust you, Orin. I know you'll bring them back," said Rosie. She looked at the far hull and sighed. "These last few days have been so wonderful. I…a part of me doesn't want to go back. I just want to be a normal teenager, like Carter…with Carter. I just want to life a normal life."

"But you're so much more than that. You're extraordinary, and your people need you now more than ever. I believe in you, too, Rosie. Life is hard no matter who you are, but you can and will be the greatest leader your country has ever seen."

For the first time since the bowling alley, Rosie smiled. But, just above that faint and gentle smile, a tear rolled down her silken cheek. "I know you cannot stay when this is over, Orin," she said, looking up into his face. "I…I will miss you."

Orin looked down into the girl's eyes but all words caught in his throat. He could not deny her, nor reassure her, he could only convey what he felt with a nod. Being perfectly at ease with this, Rosie once again laid her head to rest upon his shoulder, and they flew over the sparkling Gulf and into the morning in silence.

* * *

**Sorry about the short chapter. I haven't had much time to write lately so I'm breaking up a few small ones so you guys don't have to wait too long. Thanks again for reading.**


	15. Chapter 15: Darkest Hour

Chapter 15

"Stop it! Please, stop!" Carter screamed over the wet sound of knuckles against her father's bloodied face. As the man's fist swung, Mason's head snapped back and forth as if he were a chew toy in the mouth of a rabid dog. The neck of his shirt was stained a deep red where the blood ran down in rivulets and soaked into the cotton.

"Do not hurt him!" Queen Sofia pleaded along with Carter. "I beg of you!"

They'd only been in beautiful Costa Luna for a few hours, but it felt as though they'd been in Hell for an eternity. Upon arrival at a private airfield they'd been immediately carted off to the palace and thrown into the barred and gated stables which housed the royal family's purebred horses. Queen Sophia's face greeted them, worn and streaked with tears, her gown filthy and torn.

It wasn't long before Kane and his men returned with a chair and a variety of torturous implements. They tied Mason to the chair and beat him furiously until he bled. He was a strong man, however, and did not break easily under such rudimentary methods.

"Is that the best you've got?" He taunted them.

After a short reprieve he was doused with dirty water and malicious electro-shock treatment commenced. Carter winced as she heard the sound of electricity racing through her father's body. The lights flickered and dimmed each time he screamed out in pure agony.

"You can stop this, Sofia! Marry me, surrender Costa Luna to my control!" Kane snarled in her face, his patience running thin now that he was so close. "I know you care for this man. Save him from further pain, or once his body gives out I will turn my attentions to his daughter!"

"Don't you dare touch her you son of a bitch!" Mason barked out, only to receive another violent thrashing before Kane drew his saber and pressed the point into Mason's throat hard enough to draw blood.

"You are quickly becoming useless to me, Major Mason," Kane smirked. "Do not give me any greater reason to make you suffer more than you have to."

At this, Carter could take no more. "Leave my dad alone, you goddamn coward!" She screamed. "Go back and run your own country into the ground!"

Kane instantly backhanded her across the face, making her head roll as stars clouded her vision.

"Little bitch," he barked and raised his sword. "Agree to marry me, Sofia, or I will sever the girl's head from her shoulders and you will watch until the final drop of blood leaves her body."

"No, damn it! Deal with me, Kane!" Mason bellowed to no avail.

Sofia, weeping upon her knees in the hay-strewn floor, could only whimper like a helpless child. "Please," she begged, "please stop this now."

Kane's eyes blazed. "Then her death is on your hands," he said as he brought the blade down in a whistling blur.

"No!" Sofia shrieked.

Carter-her heart racing at the thought that her time was finally over-slowly opened her eyes to find the blade had stopped less than an inch from her throat.

"I'll do it. I'll marry you. Costa Luna is yours, please just don't hurt them anymore." She sobbed as she broke down and fell completely to the floor, her unkempt hair obscuring her horrid expression of despair.

"Sofia, no!" Joe cried out in defiance, for which his only reward was another painful blow to his face.

"Stop it now!" Screamed Sofia.

Kane grinned, finally satisfied. He held up a hand toward his aid, who narrowed his eyes at Mason before backing away. Mason spit a wad of bloody phlegm upon the floor, relieved that the physical torment was over, but burning up inside at the thought of Sofia marrying Kane. When the charade was over and she was no longer needed, it was certain that Kane would find a way for her to disappear.

"I shall arrange for a press release immediately. Something along the lines of-Queen Sofia falls madly in love with courageous military leader." Kane holstered his sword and gripped Sofia's chin. "The wedding shall take place tonight."

* * *

After the plain touched down on the tarmac, they were immediately shuttled inside the main building and greeted by the head of operations at the facility as well as his assistant. There were only a handful of technicians and students on-site, so they would not be bothered while recuperating from the flight.

Orin and Rosie took turns in the employee shower, washing away the traumatic events of the previous day. Unfortunately, they had no spare change of clothes, but the outfits they had were laundered and returned to them promptly. The professor and his assistant were rather enthusiastic to be in the presence of Princess Fiore and made it very clear that they were eager to help in any way possible.

After showering and redressing, they were treated to whatever food was on hand. Orin grimaced at granola and yogurt, but made due enough to regain some energy for the coming fight. When they finished they were notified of Colonel Campbell's arrival, and they made their way outside to greet him and Brigadier General Alvarez, who had likewise arrived with his troops.

"It's good to see you alive, Orin," Campbell said, offering his hand.

"This time I can actually say the same to you." Orin took the man's hand and they shook as though the friendship from times past had finally returned.

"And you as well, General," said Campbell as he turned toward Alvarez and raised his hand in salute. "It looks like you outrank me, now."

"Indeed, Colonel. It has been too long. I must say, however, that I am highly disturbed by what I have heard. And I truly cannot believe my eyes. It is the princess, as you have said." Alvarez turned to Rosie and bowed deeply. "Your Royal Highness, please forgive me, but I must ask you directly; is this true, what the Colonel has told me?"

"Yes, General Alvarez, it is true," Rosie answered. Her chin was held high and she looked as proper and formal as ever in front of the general. "My palace has been invaded and my mother taken hostage by General Kane, military ruler of our neighbor country of Costa Estrella. I witnessed this with my own eyes. I escaped with the help of Captain Traverse and Major Joseph Mason. I have been under the protection of Major Mason in the United States for the last several days-until my location was discovered."

Orin was at once stricken and inspired by her show of fortitude. It seemed as though she truly was ready to lead.

"I-I-this is all so-" Alvarez stammered, clearly in shock that such a transgression had gone on without his slightest knowledge.

"General, please. Major Mason and his daughter Carter were taken by Kane during his effort to abduct me. He is attempting to use them as leverage to force my mother into legal union with him. Captain Traverse believes that the time for hiding is over, and I agree."

"We're here to launch an offensive, General," Orin said.

"My God, General Kane, within our borders. How is this possible?"

"You must aid Captain Traverse in rescuing them and my mother," Rosie told him. "This is our top priority."

Alvarez stood up straight once again. "Of course, Your Highness, with you're mother taken captive I am yours to command. We will bear down upon him with our full might."

"No," Orin stepped forward. "We have to launch this operation as soon as possible. Tonight. And this entire situation must remain discrete. Only you and your men are to know and be involved."

"Tonight?" Alavarez gasped, his eyes widening. "How could we possibly-my men are not prepared."

"Get them prepared. We don't have any time left. Every minute we waste, Kane is coming closer to victory."

Orin looked beyond Alvarez at the men piling out of the truck, and his hopes sank further. The "squad" in question numbered no more than eighteen men, men who didn't look much like soldiers. To further complicate matters they were carrying unmodified Mosin Nagant bolt action rifles, most likely leftover relics of Cold War trading. At the very least Orin hoped they got them at a hell of a discount.

"Those are your troops?" He asked Alvarez

"Yes. Some of my finest men."

"Damn, this country needs to reconsider it's defense funding."

"We are a nation of peace, Captain Traverse."

"You'll be a nation of pieces if you don't step it up a bit. The rest of the world doesn't care about your philosophy. I know you don't go looking for trouble, but sooner or later trouble comes looking for you."

"I understand the situation is dire, but my men are soldiers, they will see any mission through."

Orin had to accept what they had.

I've done more with a hell of a lot less, he thought.

"All right," he said. "I've got to get ready. Brief your men on the situation and meet me in the front office of this building just before nightfall," Orin told him and turned to walk away.

"Captain." Alvarez called for him.

Orin turned.

"Thank you. Thank you for protecting our princess."

Orin nodded and looked off into the distance, toward the palace. "It's not over yet," he said and walked inside.

* * *

Campbell had most of Orin's gear laid out on a table in one of the conference rooms when Orin walked in.

"Making up for missed birthdays?" Orin asked.

"Something like that." Said Campbell and tossed Orin a compact M4 Commando with a stubby suppressor on the front.

Orin held the rifle with deft familiarity, shouldered it and aimed through the Aimpoint M68 red dot sight mounted on the top rail.

Campbell held up one of the spare magazines. "These are Extreme Shock Nytrillium Subsonic rounds, they work exceptionally well with that setup. Terminal ballistics are excellent, and the recoil buffer makes it almost whisper quiet. I also brought an MP5-SD if you'd prefer."

"I'd better stick with the M4, I don't know what I'm going to come up against in there."

"Well, the rest is all here. Frags, flashbangs, smoke."

"I'll probably ditch the frags. The staff were probably taken hostage, too. I don't want any collateral damage if I can avoid it."

"I've got pre-shaped breaching charges for the doors. And one more thing I think you'll like," Campbell said and held up a strange looking rig. "This attaches to your night vision goggles, it's a sonar spectral imager. This piece works something like a stethoscope. Put it against a wall or door and you'll get instant sonar feedback, a virtual sketch of whatever's on the other side. I've never used it but I've heard the detail is strikingly accurate and clear."

Orin took the device from the Colonel and plugged it into the set of goggles. "It was still in development when I left. Sounded interesting, never got to check it out, though."

"Well, here's your chance." Campbell said and watched as Orin messed around with the device. "You know," he said after a while, "certain things about you remind me of your father."

"I'm nothing like him," Orin asserted, tightening at the mention of his father.

"He was one of the best soldiers I ever commanded."

"Yeah, well, he was an asshole to match. That much I remember."

"I'm sorry you two didn't get along."

"I was a big disappointment to him."

"And yet you've become better than he ever was. He would be immensely proud of you. Every father loves his son, Orin."

Orin sighed and looked at the floor. "The whole reason I joined the program was to be better than him. Looking back, I have no idea why, I just felt like I had something to prove. And now, it means nothing to me. The only thing I want to do is get Carter out of there and make sure her and Rosie are safe and happy."

Campbell gave him a sideways glance. "Orin, do you actually-"

"Don't even say it," Orin said, looking up. "I've still got a job to do. No matter what my personal feelings may or may not be-they don't factor in here."

The Colonel nodded and decided not to press. "Fair enough."

* * *

Orin found her outside on an observation deck, staring off at the distant shore, her hair lifted softly by an eastern breeze. She stood still, as if some unseen hand were in the process of sculpting an angel and needed only to add the wings. He found himself cut deep inside by a terrible pain. He was facing the thought that this may be the last time he ever saw her.

"Hello, Orin," she said, turning her head to face him. He knew she had been crying, but the tears were gone now.

"Hey, Rosie."

"Is it time?"

Orin nodded. "Just about. We'll be heading out soon."

"I can't believe it has come to this," Rosie said. Already her movements and speech were losing the innocent, casual vibe they had taken on in Louisiana. Her time as a teenager was nearly at an end. Not only did she have to return to her royal obligations as Princess of Costa Luna, but she found herself transformed by the events that had transpired. She had been forced to change, to grow. She could never again be the innocent girl she once was, untouched by evil and ignorant of the corruption of the world. She now had to face those dangerous aspects of life not as a girl or a princess, but as a woman.

"I wish it hadn't," said Orin. He moved to stand beside her. The lights of the city were beginning to emerge as the sun finally slipped below the horizon. Yellow turned to orange and merged with pink, which finally drained into a bluish black eternity dotted with hundreds of thousands of tiny bright stars.

"This place is…amazing…"Orin whispered, in awe of the beautiful vista.

"Yes. It is and will always be my favorite place in this world, but…there are some things it does not have."

"Like what?"

"Lake Monroe. And…"

"Carter," Orin finished her thought, to which the girl could only nod and look down.

"I think I am in love with her," she said, finally. "I have never felt this way before. I am so sad and so afraid. I am so worried about Carter. Orin, I do not know what to do."

"Carter is strong, Rosie. Stronger than you know, and you have to be strong, too. For her, for your mother…and for me. This is the first time in a long time I haven't felt alone, and that scares me."

"What do you mean?"

"It scares me to think that I might have something to lose. And after all this time, I'm not going to let Kane take that away from me without a fight."

Orin gritted his teeth in preparation for what he was about to say. "Rosie," he began, "it's not easy to tell you this, but you need to hear it. I want to tell you that everything is going to be fine, but there's a chance this may not go well."

"I know, but I have seen what you can do."

"But I'm going in alone. It's risky, very risky."

"I believe in you, Orin. I-"

"Belief isn't magic, Rosie. And it isn't bulletproof, either. You may very well inherit your country still, but you could lose everything else in the process."

"I can't. I don't know what I would do."

"I swear to you, even if I die, I will do everything I possibly can to get Carter back. But if I fail to rescue your mother, you have to run. Go with Colonel Campbell, flee the country. Live your life anywhere else but here, just stay alive.

"Orin-"

"I'm not going to ask you to promise me, Rosie. I wouldn't do that. But I'm asking you, and I'm hoping you do what you need to do, because that's what I'm doing."

They were silent for several moments, until Orin found his body defying his mind as he slowly wrapped his arm around the grieving girl's shoulders. She turned into him and wrapped him in her arms.

"They say it's darkest just before dawn," Orin said to her, softly. "And this darkness is almost over…I promise."

* * *

Meanwhile, seemingly just out of reach, Carter sat captive in the stables amid the stink of hay with her back against a cold stone wall. She looked upward, moonlight from a tiny, high window illuminating her face. Her father lay beside her, shivering and coughing, his body cloaked in shadow. The beating and subsequent torture had sapped him of strength and his muscles were still wracked by frequent spasms.

"Damn it, Carter," he sputtered. "I failed."

"We failed, Dad," she corrected, running a hand over his clammy forehead. "We failed. They didn't get Rosie, and I'm so happy for that, but we couldn't keep each other safe, and that was always the plan."

"I know, kiddo. This is all my fault."

"No, it isn't. It's Kane's fault. He's the only one to blame in all of this. You brought Rosie into our lives, and she is incredible. And Orin-God-I never thought I'd meet anyone so much like me, so sad."

"Carter, have I been a terrible father?" Asked Mason.

"No! You're the best dad in the world. It's just-since mom-I've been lonely. I don't fit in at school…I don't fit in anywhere. That's why I love Rosie and Orin…it feels like I've got a real family again, a brother and…" Carter trailed off.

"A sister, I know. You and Rosie have gotten very close."

Carter didn't know what to say, so she just said, "Yeah." Then, after a long silence, "I love her."

"Wow," Mason said. "I didn't know you'd gotten so attached after just a few days. That's what's so special about you, Carter. You're heart, your willingness to love."

"No, Dad…I mean…I really-"

The lock rattled on the outside and the barred door too the stables swung open. Two of Kane's men entered and hauled Carter and her father to their feet.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" Joe threatened.

"Relax, Major Mason," one of them spoke. "We have been instructed to bring you into the palace to make yourselves more…presentable. General Kane has specially requested your presence at the ceremony."

"How kind of him." Carter said without emotion.

"Yes. You should remember that he has been very kind to allow you to live, so I think you should both be on your best behavior, lest we be forced to administer a lesson in manners."

"Administer this," Carter said, raising her middle finger.

"Such attitude from such a young girl. In my country, women are broken in early, as they should be. Perhaps you could use a trip to my homeland for a bit of education."

"Maybe you could use a trip to Lake Monroe, Louisiana, then we'd see who gets broken in."

"Enough talk. Move, now!" The man said and allowed them room to leave.

Mason held his side, nursing an injury that wasn't as bad as he was letting on. If they considered him less of a threat than he really was, they might be inclined to make a mistake that would afford him an opening. But first he had to get closer to Sofia, to make sure she was safe. He hadn't realized the full extent of his feelings for her, but knew now that there could never be anything between them, not after all that had happened.

Carter walked on, her head hung low as tears streamed down her cheeks. She tried to pray, tried to believe, but found herself only believe that all hope was finally lost.

* * *

**Wow, while proofreading this I felt like we've come to an entirely different world from where we started and the movie in general. Sorry if it seems like I'm teasing with a slow build up but I've really been trying to write a detailed story and, to tell you the truth, I'm sad to know we're coming to the climax and inevitable ending. I don't know how long it'll take me to figure out the palace infiltration and rescue but I'm working on it so stick with me guys and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	16. Chapter 16: Valiant Rescue, A Hero Rises

Chapter 16

Orin spread his paper out on the table in front of them. Alvarez's eyes widened at the level of detail expressed so clearly in the sketch. He'd been to the palace several times during his time as a general in King Fiore's Royal Military, and the drawing was a nearly perfect recreation of the courtyard and outer walls.

"Who drew this?" He asked.

"I did," Orin answered. "Sorry about the quality, but I was in a hurry. General, I want you leading the Alpha team from northern side of the courtyard." His fingers slid over the sketch, indicating the positions of approach. "You've got a better chance of driving Kane's men back while Bravo engages them from the front. You can see here that because of the pool and rear security positions, the backside of the palace is not a good place to head an assault. There's a lot to cover inside the west wing so it's most likely that's where he's keeping the Masons and Queen Sofia. I'll be inside first looking for them, but if for some reason I fail and your men make it in, remember that they are the objective, not Kane."

"He invaded my country's capital and threatened my Queen," Alvarez asserted, his shoulders back. "He will not leave here alive."

Orin nodded. "Fair enough, but it's important that you not initiate any search for him directly until our primary objective is complete. I understand your anger, but it could get people killed. I know the Queen holds priority over all else for you, and since she'll most likely be kept with the Mason's, it would be foolish to risk the entire mission hunting for Kane." Orin could see that he had persuaded Alvarez, but left out the part about how he planned on taking Kane down himself.

"All right, Captain. Agreed."

"Next," Orin continued, "we need to cut off the power. Darkness will provide me the best cover."

"We can cut the power from the road, but the palace has emergency generators. I do not know where they are located."

"That'll be good enough, and if not I'll take them out on site if I have to."

"Orin," Campbell said, looking up from the drawing. "Have you decided how you're going to get in? The hedges in the east courtyard provide plenty of shadows, but you'll need help getting over the wall."

"I've considered that," said Orin. "Ideally, I'd go in by air, but I don't have a rig."

"There are a several in the jet outside. They're emergency chutes for low altitude deployment, but they'll work. And the jet's got a loading ramp in the back you can jump from.

"All right. I'll check them out to make sure they're jump ready. I think we can get by flying a little low. I can't imagine Kane has any surface-to-air capabilities at the palace."

"Are we ready to begin?" Alvarez asked.

Orin checked his watch. "Yeah, you and your team should get going. Hold up a few miles away from the palace and wait for my command. I'll have the pilot radio when it's time to hit them. I just have to-"

"Excuse me, Colonel Campbell!"

They turned to see the lead professor in charge of the facility hurrying towards them from a far doorway.

"Yes?"

"Sir, a few technicians were in the break room with the television on. They're broadcasting that Queen Sofia is marrying General Magnus Kane tonight. The ceremony is going out live from the palace in half an hour."

"Damn." Orin cursed.

"Kane has broken Sofia. Our country will be ruined." Alvarez's anger was barely contained.

Campbell turned. "Orin, do you think they're still alive?"

"For now, he needs them to make her go through with it. We've got to move, now! General, get your men and get out of there!" Orin commanded and headed for the other door. He paused when he saw Campbell reach into another one of the cases under the table and produce a long, black rifle.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm going with you," said Campbell.

"The hell you are." Orin stepped toward him and took the weapon from his hands. "Have you finally gone section 8? What do you think you're going to do out there? Huff and puff and blow the house in?"

"Real funny, pipsqueak. You think I'm going to let you have all the fun?"

"Colonel, seriously, why would you-"

"Because I am getting old, Orin. When I commanded your dad, I was still in my prime. I was an officer but I could kick the shit out of any young Master Sergeant around. Then I got to train you again and even though I was starting to lose a step or two, you were becoming a fantastic soldier, and I guess I lived a little vicariously through you."

"And you choose now for a midlife crisis? I'll make a video and you can watch the whole thing when I get back."

"Nice try, smartass. I see you've forgotten about Zanzibar."

"To hell with Zanzibar," Orin let his aggravation show. "Sir, you could get hurt."

"And so could you. But without that, what the hell else have we got to live for?"

Orin paused for a moment. He wasn't aware of how much he cared about his mentor's safety. Campbell had always been a gruff old fart, but he was the closest thing to family Orin had for a long time. In any case, he didn't have the time to stand and argue.

"I haven't forgotten how to shoot, kid."

Orin sighed and handed the rifle back to his teacher. "I know," he told the old man, "I know."

* * *

Carter couldn't believe the state of madness to which her reality had descended.

The interior courtroom of the coronation ceremony had been transformed into a fantastic sanctum for the impromptu wedding. After their various tasks were done, the house staff-now slaves at gunpoint-were whisked away by Kane's armed guard.

Two of his men assembled a set of stage lights and a camera next to the main aisle. Carter guessed they were either recording or broadcasting live so that all of Costa Luna would see Kane become their new ruler right before their very eyes.

Carter's heart was shattered. Kane had finally won, and now Rosie would have to live as a shadow for the rest of her life. Tears began to stream down her face at the thought that she would never again feel Rosie's touch, or the soft caress of her lips.

Carter's bruises had been covered with makeup and she'd been fitted into one of the most gorgeous dresses she'd ever seen, one from Rosie's own wardrobe. Her father, dressed in the garb of the Fiore family's security team, stood against the far wall. It looked as though he was standing vigil with his hands behind his back, but in reality they were shackled in handcuffs and he had been warned that if he made even the slightest move he would be shot dead in an instant as well as his daughter.

Looking on in hatred and despair, Carter shook with impotent rage as one of Kane's men in the garb of an Archbishop, entered from the side doorway and took his place at the makeshift altar.

"Ladies and gentlemen and all the people of Costa Luna!" The man bellowed in a deep, baritone voice. "We are gathered here this day to honor and celebrate the blessed union of Queen Sofia Diora Montoya Fiore and the leader and magnificent ruler of the great country of Costa Estrella, General Magnus Damien Kane!"

Carter, knowing full well that she had nothing left to lose, issued a low snoring sound and lowered her head as if she were falling asleep. Her antics were met with fiery stares from Kane's men and she nearly yelped out in pain when she felt the barrel of a gun dig into the tender flesh of her lower back. The immediate pain caused her to stiffen and become quiet.

Queen Sofia's bruised and swollen face was also caked with makeup, but the cameras were set far enough back that no one would suspect. They were set so far enough back no one would even see the tears of hopelessness streaming down her face.

As the ceremony commenced, Mason stood against the wall, pulling against the cuffs so hard it was beginning to cut off circulation. With gritted teeth he swallowed mouthful after mouthful of anger and remorse. He feared most intensely for Carter. What would become of them when the night was through? When there was no further use for them?

"Do you, General Kane, Ruler of Costa Estrella, take this woman as your Queen?" The false Archbishop asked.

"Oh, I do," Kane replied as he turned his head toward Sofia and grinned, "with all my heart."

The Archbishop smiled as well.

"And do you, Sofia Fiore, take the mighty General Magnus Kane as your husband and King, to be by his side now and forever?"

Sofia could not speak. She looked inside of herself for some last ray of hope, for some drop of defiance, but found nothing left but an unending pit of desolation. Her daughter was lost to her forever, and the only man she had cared for since the death of her husband would most likely be dead very soon.

"I…I…" she croaked. She felt as though she were floating above, drifting in a sea of isolation as she watched her life crumble.

Kane leaned in close, his hot breath wet against her face. "Say it, my Queen, or they die, and I will declare war upon your pitiful nation this very night."

"I…I do-"

Suddenly, they were struck blind as the palace was enveloped in darkness as thick and black as oil from the earth.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kane bellowed.

"Carter!" Mason called for his daughter.

"I'm fine, Dad," came her reply.

"Shut up, both of you! My Lord!" One of Kane's men called from the dark.

"I'm fine, you moron! What is happening?"

"I am not sure, General, I-"

As the generators kicked on, faint emergency lights glowed to life all around the palace, filtering into the courtyard.

Kane grabbed Sofia's hand in a vice-like grip. "Finish the ceremony, now!"

"General, sir, we've lost our broadcast."

"Damn it!" Growled Kane. "Get it back up, immediately."

"We'll have to wait a moment, sir."

"I will not wait!"

"General Kane!" A booming voice echoed through the interior of the palace. It had come from outside the walls, amplified as if by a bullhorn. "This is Brigadier General Alvarez of the Costa Luna Royal Defense Force! We know that you have taken Queen Fiore prisoner. You have one chance to surrender yourself or face death!"

"Radio our men! Everyone at security stations, now!" Kane roared and shoved Sofia into the fake Archbishop's arms. "Take her and our other two prisoners and secure them together. If the forces of Costa Luna should make it inside these walls, execute them immediately. Be prepared to fall back to the helicopters if necessary. Go!"

The men in the room dispersed and Kane headed for the door behind the altar.

"Kane!" Carter shouted as she was being hauled away. "It's over! They're on the way! He's on the way! And he's coming for you, Kane! He's coming for you!"

* * *

Orin checked his watch just before giving Alvarez the go signal, the checked it again out of sheer nervousness.

"How close are we?" He asked the pilot as he waited by the back loading ramp.

"We're almost to the jump window, sir. I'm slowing us down now."

"Good." Orin said and stood from his seat. He paced slowly for what seemed like an eternity, expending too much energy worrying about Carter. Questions raced through his mind-where was she? Would he find her in time? What if it was already too late?

He realized such thoughts could only hurt him, so he shoved them aside and focused on the task at hand.

"We're approaching the jump window, Captain. I'm lowering the ramp. When it's fully lowered, you can jump at you're ready."

"Thank you for everything. Get back down safe."

"Roger that. Good luck, sir."

With a deep electronic hum, the ramp in the back lowered and the cabin became a maelstrom of howling, whipping wind.

Orin, giving himself to fate, relaxed his body and took three long strides down the ramp, stepping out into nothing as the cold night embraced him.

* * *

Twin snipers had taken up position outside with their deadly rifles pointed over the edge of the large balcony outside of Queen Sofia's bedroom. Once the firing had started below and they had begun their work of emptying the heads of young soldiers, they never even heard the jet as it flew by overhead, nor the flutter of nylon in the cool night as their messenger of death swooped down upon them.

Orin landed behind the first one and had buried a blade deep into his throat before his canopy had even hit the ground. The second sniper turned his head and spotted the silent infiltrator in time to catch a burst from Orin's M4. The whispering rounds shredded through his uniform and into his chest, slapping him to the ground.

He took a moment to let his racing heart slow a bit. Activating his throat mic, Orin checked in with his eyes on the ground. "I'm on the roof-two tangos down-moving inside to begin sweep."

Under the deep, dark canopy of the forest about a hundred and fifty yards from the palace, Colonel Campbell took his eye out from behind his rifle scope and glanced at the roof. "Copy that, Hunter-One. Didn't even see you come in."

The forest floor was hard and cold ,and the colonel's knees were killing him. He could only wonder how his back was going to feel tomorrow, but he couldn't deny the exhilaration of being back in the field. Finally, he'd admitted to himself that he was far too old to be in the thick of it like his young protégé, but just being part of an operation again made him feel immortal. He'd donned a pair of black fatigues and painted black tiger stripes down his face, much like Orin, before heading out on his own and hiking uphill through the woods to a decent vantage point-and he'd done it while toting his gear and weaponry. His days as a sniper were ages away, but the memories came rushing back to him in a way that put a smile on his face.

"What's it looking like on your side?" Asked Orin.

"Alvarez and his men are holding on, but they're suffering casualties. I'm reading at least twenty hostiles on the outside, so resistance should be relatively light in there, but stay low and watch your back."

"Copy that. How're you doing, old man?"

"Better than you think, kid. Might not want to save the Queen too fast, you'll spoil my fun."

Orin grinned for a moment and continued on with his work. There were no emergency lights on the top floor, so he proceed through the hallways with his NVGs fully activated, illuminating the world in neon green.

Every part of the soldier within him was switched on now, every sense magnified by a thousand as the synapses in his brain fired at the speed of light. He'd been down and out for so long he didn't think he'd ever feel it again.

In his search for Carter and the others, he stopped outside of every door and pressed the stethoscope of the sonar device against the wood. When he sent the signal through, a boxlike sketch of the room and everything within sprung to life across his field of vision in brilliant blue.

"Damn," he said out loud, "this thing is awesome."

As he was headed for the next floor down, two men sprang from the stair well, probably to investigate why the snipers on the roof were no longer firing.

"Shit!" One of them hissed, having spotted Orin's outline in the dark.

The other, however, was having trouble seeing anything, and waved the barrel of his AK-47 like a maniac. Before either could gather their bearings enough to shoot, Orin lifted his M4 and tugged off two short bursts, cutting the men down where they stood. He ejected his half-empty magazine, slapped in a fresh one, and began his descent to begin his sweep anew on the second floor.

"Hang on, Carter," he whispered. "Just hang on."

* * *

**For everyone following regularly I want to again apologize for the shorter chapter, lack of Rosie, and somewhat stilted perspective. I just wasn't sure how I wanted the rescue to go down and there's so much to cram in, especially giving a section to each of the major characters, and I'm really trying to not go too long without an update. Plus, as I've said before, a part of me just doesn't want the story to end. Things are heating up, though, so I hope nobody is losing interest. Until next time, thanks for reading.**


	17. Chapter 17: From Darkness Into Light

Chapter 17

Orin moved through the hallways as silently as shears cutting through silk. He blended with the shadows, flowing through and between them as if his body were made of the very darkness itself. It was slower going that he would have liked, but every door was subject to a pulse from the sonar sensor. Room after lavish room was illuminated before his eyes, only to prove empty of the valuable contents for which he was searching.

Come on, Carter, where are you? He thought to himself.

There was a very slim chance that Kane might have thought to move them off the premises somehow, or have them prepped for a quick escape, but Orin didn't think so. They'd come by surprise and there hadn't been enough time to move them. They were in the building, he could feel it, but having swept almost all of the second floor, he was growing unsure of whether or not he could find them in time. Before long, the remainder of Kane's forces would be pushed inward, forcing Orin to take cover if he didn't want to be live target practice.

His body tensed at the sound of gunfire close by. He slowly cut the corner to the eastern face of the palace and saw a lone shooter firing down on Alvarez's men from an open window. Another lay dead further down, obviously hit by one of the Costa Lunian soldiers below. Orin didn't know how many good guys were left standing, but it seemed to be clear he was on his own for the time being.

Moving as silently as a ghost, Orin came up behind the shooter and slipped one arm around his neck. He pulled the head back and the next moment his blade had disappeared into the jugular. The tip infiltrated and disabled the spine, causing nearly instant death. He let the body slip from his grasp before activating his throat mic.

"Colonel, let Alvarez know I've neutralized the shooter on the second floor. Can't guarantee there won't be more, though."

"Copy that. I've got to head back to the truck for more ammo. Watch your back in there."

"Wilco. Out."

Hearing a cluster of footfalls behind him, Orin swung around and melted into a doorway. He brought his rifle to bare and cut down a trio of them that had retreated for more ammunition. The rounds cut through their torsos, blooms of bright red mist exploding into the night. One by one they fell to the ground.

After reloading, Orin stepped forward and examined one of the men that had rolled onto his back. He was wheezing and blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. Orin took one of the man's hands and placed it over the bullet wound in his chest.

"Press here, hard," he told the man. "Your lung is punctured."

"Bastard!" The soldier choked. "Who are you?"

"I'm here for the Queen and the people you're holding hostage. Where are they?"

The bloodied man grimaced and tried to look away, clearly defiant.

"Let's not do this. You're hurt, but you might survive if someone finds you. Tell me where they're located and I can give you something for the pain."

The man tried to laugh but ended up coughing up more blood. "And if I don't?"

Orin moved his hand to one of the entry wounds near the man's shoulder and pressed his thumb into it, spilling fresh blood onto the tan uniform. The man grunted in agony as Orin slid his blade from it's sheath and turned it in front of the man's face, allowing it to gleam in the faint light.

"Then I might be persuaded to stay here a bit longer and get to know you better, inside and out." Orin was instantly hit with a wave of feeling that blurred the line between exhilaration and disgust. He was almost shocked at his own sense of brutality. It had been so long since he'd acted so cruelly, and seeing the fear in the wounded man's eyes brought those memories flooding back.

Sighing, Orin put his knife away. "Look, either way I'm going to find them or die trying. Your fight is done, my fight is with your General." He reached into a pouch on his belt and produced a small vial with a hypodermic needle. "This is morphine. It'll ease the pain and keep you from going into shock."

The man looked up at the syringe, inner conflict visible in his eyes. "They are on the first floor," he broke down, "east wing, in a room behind the interior courtyard where Kane was to marry Sofia. I do not know how heavily guarded it is."

"Thanks," Orin replied. "If you survive I'll tell them you helped."

Orin wasn't stupid, he would not have left the man alive and conscious and simply walked away. Such things sounded heroic, but the risks were too great. He could be shot in the back or have his location given away due to his mercy. After sticking the syringe into him, Orin stood and stepped over the man, swinging his rifle back around and continuing on his way. There was enough painkiller coursing through his bloodstream to ensure he would be about as much threat as if Orin had put a bullet in his brain.

When he reached the next stairwell the man rasped out and Orin turned.

"Thank…thank you," he called, already slipping into the warmth of the morphine.

Suddenly, as if from some deep personal abyss, there was an intense anger inside, a burning hatred for himself and the things he had done. He was not a good person, he knew. In his own mind, he was barely human, but he would rather hate himself for doing what needed to be done than sit back and be useless when the people he cared for were in danger. Killing was no easy business, but sometimes diplomacy was even harder. He knew that what he'd just done was a foolish move, one that could cost him his life, but he tried with all of his might to hold on to some piece of humanity within him. Carter and Rosie would want that.

Leaving the man to live or die, Orin disappeared into the shadows once again.

* * *

Campbell emerged from the jungle near the trucks rubbing at the sore spot forming at the small of his back. He leaned his rifle against the side of his own vehicle, a small utility Jeep he'd borrowed from the facility. He was thankful to be relieved of the weight of the weapon. Still, he was eager to reload and get back to his spot. Alvarez's men were pushing forward slowly, but the resistance was fierce. There was no telling how long it would take them to make it inside, or if it would be too late. Of all the doubts and concerns he had, not one of them involved Orin dying.

He started toward the squad truck to retrieve ammunition when he saw movement in the back of the Jeep. It was probably an animal, there was nothing back there but a toolbox, a few spools of copper wiring and a tarp for keeping the supplies dry, but upon closer inspection it was the lumpy tarp itself that was moving. Campbell grabbed a handful of the material and wrenched it out of the Jeep, revealing a shaking and frightened Princess Rosalinda.

"Damn it, girl." Campbell cursed.

"I'm sorry, Colonel."

"Princess, you can't be here. What would happen if-"

"I know! But I could not stand by and wait any longer. I know I can't help, but I had to be here. My mother is in there. And Carter and Major Mason. How can I sit alone in some quiet room waiting to hear f they are alive or dead?"

"I…I understand. Here, let me help you out. At least you're away from the combat."

"What is happening? Are they safe?"

"No word yet. Orin's doing the best he can. He's working his way through the house room by room. It's just a matter of time."

"But how, how can Orin stand a chance in there?"

"Trust me, Princess, Traverse puts on a big show of modesty, but he's never lost a fight. The biggest mistake most men make it thinking he's a loser, then they find out the truth-the hard way. Wherever your mom and the others are in there, he'll find them."

"I believe you are right. He hasn't let us down yet."

Seeing the gleam of admiration in her eyes, Campbell shot her a look. "Hey, I trained him."

As if she had just been reprimanded, Rosie straightened up and nodded he respect. "Yes, Colonel," she said.

With a burst of static, Campbell's ear mic issued forth a terrible cry so loud he had to pull it away from his head.

Rosie, having heard it bellow of pain, froze in place as her eyes widened in terror.

* * *

The inner courtyard was as quiet as a graveyard now as Orin slinked along the wall like oil on water. It was only now, in the silence and eerie calm of the night that his heartbeat began to speed up and a cold sweat formed on his forehead. His muscles tensed and he urged them to relax. He wondered if his body was starting to rebel against him. After all, he'd been out of training for a good deal of time, and he'd been poisoning himself in a steady stream.

He hadn't had a drink in…how long? He couldn't even properly remember when this whole thing had begun. It felt as though months or years had passed since that day Campbell had shown up at his apartment with job offer. Babysitting a princess. Orin still couldn't believe where he was.

Focus, focus, he told himself. He couldn't fall apart now. Everything was on the line. He hated moments like those.

On the first floor he'd found the room containing the palace servants. They'd been bound and gagged and watched over by a single sentry which Orin dispatched with ease. After freeing them, he warned them to remain inside the room until things were safe.

He made his way past the lights and the red carpet and the garish decorations upon the altar to the storage room behind the courtyard. Silently praying with everything he had, he pressed the sonar device to the wooden door and sent a wave inward. It bounced off the walls and floor and ceiling, and rolls of decadent fabric and boxes of gaudy devices for adorning the palace…and a group of human shaped figures spread throughout.

In the center, three of them in chairs positioned with their backs to one another. Finally, he had found them. And there were three others standing guard. Fine details were sketchy, but he could make out the strange shapes in their hands well enough to guess they were submachine guns. Small enough to be Skorpions or Uzis. One tug of the trigger could bring devastation to the mission if Orin was fast enough.

He took slow, even breaths as he pulled a roll of det cord from his vest and stuck it around the door, inside the frame. Small breaching charge wrapped around the knob, and he was ready to go.

They probably in darkness, but the moonlight coming into the courtyard and the surrounding emergency lights would make flood the room with light once he was inside. The breaching would create a flash bright enough to disorient them, but he would have to quick on the draw to cut down all three.

To make matters worse, he had less than half a magazine left in his M4. He wasn't about to go in and try to pop three single headshots, so he had to keep his bursts short enough to take all of them down. Thankfully, there was his pistol if it came to that, but he hoped it wouldn't.

He counted to three and pressed the trigger on the detonator. The massive pop-boom of the det cord filled the lower levels of the palace as the sides of the door were blown away.

"Shit!" One of the men inside cursed as they shielded their faces from the blast of woodchips and plaster.

Orin rushed forward, kicking the door inward and let loose a burp of automatic fire into the first guard. Three rounds impacted his shoulder, neck and head. He jerked to the side and into a very old and valuable vase.

As the world traveled about him in slow motion, Orin turned and fired at the next man, who had already begun to move. A volley of rounds stitched the wall behind him as Orin swept the muzzle to catch him. The guard let out a yelp of pain and spun against the wall, half of his face torn away. His blood smeared the wall as he fell to the ground.

Orin saw with superhuman precision when the last shell exited the chamber of the rifle and the action locked back a split second before the final guard lifted the submachine gun in his hands and tugged off a burst of deadly fire.

Reacting without thought, Orin fell to the ground, twisting as the tumbled through the air. He let his grip fall away from the rifle and travel down to his hip. Almost faster than the eye could see, his pistol was in his hands.

He hit the ground hard on his side and fired every round in the magazine into the guard. Five, six, seven shots impacted one after another, tearing his flesh and organs. The man flew backward over a stack of boxes and did not rise.

"Holy shit," Orin spoke, mostly to himself.

He heard the sound of muffled words and rose to his feet. He holstered his pistol, unsung his rifle and walked over to where Carter, Mason, and Queen Rosalinda were tied. Shiny strips of duct tape covered their mouths.

"Sorry 'bout this, Carter, but you know how it works." He said before gripping a corner of the tape and peeling it away. There really was no trick to it. Fast or slow, it stung like hell.

"Orin!" Carter was nearly crying from happiness.

"How's it going, kid?" He asked.

"I knew you'd come. Where…where's Ro-"

"She's safe. She's waiting for us-all of us. We just have to-"

"Orin!" Carter screamed, but it as too late. The wicked sharp tip of General Kane's saber stopped just short of her chin. Her would-be hero froze and winced in pain. Carter's dreadful gaze followed the blood-stained blade to the place where it had emerged from Orin's gut.

"Damn," he whispered, looking into Carter's eyes, "we almost made it, didn't we?"

The blade retracted in a flash and he fell to the ground, holding onto the wound as it bled like a fountain around his hands.

Kane stepped forward and stood over him, a fowl grimace on his face. He immediately reached down and pulled Orin's pistol from it's holster and tossed it into the darkness.

"You! You are the most troublesome vermin I have ever had the pleasure of killing, and you have ruined my plans for the final time. You could have joined me, fool! You could have lived like royalty under my regime, as we conquered this land!"

"As vice president in charge of slavery and torture? I'd rather die. You're a monster, Kane."

"And so are you! Tell me, how many of my men have you killed tonight? Heh? And for what, did you kill for your people? For your country as I have? Did you make such sacrifices to become something greater than a mere soldier as I have done?"

"I did it for reasons you would never understand."

"Very well. Rest happy in the knowledge that they will pave the way to my new kingdom, along with your blood." Kane sneered and raised his sword high over his head, ready to deliver the final death strike that would release Orin from all of his pain.

"Kane!"

The General turned his head just in time to catch the full brunt of Carter's swing of the empty assault rifle Orin had dropped. He staggered backward and covered his bleeding face.

"You little bitch!" He cried through the bloody mucus of a broken nose and started towards her, his sword whistling as it cut through the heavy air.

"No!" Orin cried as he rose from the ground. He slammed into Kane's gut, the momentum carrying them both from the room into the hallway. Orin swung and connected with a right hook, but his balance was off, allowing the man to bring a powerful knee into his stomach, right into his wound. Orin cried out and spat a wad of blood.

"Captain Traverse!" A voice echoed through the courtyard and into the hallway. It was Alvarez. They must have gotten inside the palace.

"Damn you!" Kane roared and slammed Orin into the wall before taking off at breakneck speed.

"Are you okay?" Carter asked as she came out into the hallway, falling to her knees beside him. She pressed against his vest where he was wounded and quickly found it was soaked with is blood. "Oh my God, Orin. You're bleeding really bad."

"I'm all right. Get me that gun," he told her, pointing just inside the room to one of the guard's weapons that lay on the ground.

"But…no, Orin-"

"Carter, I can get him! Please!" Despite her best efforts, he began pushing himself off the ground.

Seeing the futility in trying to keep him, Carter ran back inside and tossed him one of the Skorpions. "Please be careful!"

"Stay with them, I'll be back." He said and took off running.

Carter turned and immediately set to untying her father and Queen Sofia. As soon as he pulled the tape from his mouth, Carter jumped into her father's arms and hugged him like she never had before.

"Oh, Dad."

"Carter, it's okay. We're all okay. It's over."

"Joseph," Sofia, spoke to Mason, "I must find Rosalinda, I must see my daughter."

"You will, Sofia, I promise. But we have to wait, we don't know who's still in the palace."

When Carter backed away, Mason shoved aside a stack of boxes and found Orin's pistol. He picked it up and checked the chamber. "I promise," he told them both, "you'll see her soon."

* * *

He knew exactly where Kane would be headed-the same escape route he'd taken with Rosie and Mason. He'd be headed for the helipad and as far as Orin knew they had no capabilities to stop him. That meant it was up to Orin. If Kane escaped, none of them would be truly safe. He would slink back into his hole, bide his time and regain his strength-but one day he would come back for them.

Orin rounded a dark corner and ran into two of Kane's men who were also fleeing. He raised the Skorpion and fired two bursts, cutting them both down. He sped down the darkened hallway and grew aware of a tremendously loud noise building to a crescendo. Something was powering up outside, and it wasn't a helicopter.

Bursting out into the cool, rich night air, the first thing Orin did was draw a deep breath. He was losing blood quickly-his legs felt rubbery and ready to give out and there was a sharp pain just below his right lung. Most importantly, his vision was beginning to blur around the edges.

Gotta hold on, he told himself, moving forward toward the helipad.

He took several steps forward and fell to one knee as the large metal beast rose into the air from the helipad. Orin looked on in awe at the sight of it. It was an enormous vertical take-off jet, truly state of the art. There was no way to intercept a ship like that.

Orin raised the machine pistol and emptied it's magazine into the craft. Even over the roar of the engines he could hear the ping-ping-ping of the rounds striking the jet's armored surface. He felt sick, unable to hold himself up any longer.

And so Orin fell lower onto the ground as Kane rose up and disappeared into the perfect Costa Lunian night. Drawing in shallow breaths, he became strangely calm looking up at the multitude of twinkling stars above. He felt as though he were one wish away from being lost into that dark blanket of infinity.

"Carter…Ro…Rosie…" He whispered.

Voices swirled around him, beckoning his return, but wrapped in failure once again, Orin Traverse sunk deeper and deeper into that darkness.


	18. Chapter 18: Light the Way

Chapter 18

For Carter Mason, the moments that followed her return to freedom were a maddening game of waiting and fretting over things far outside the bounds of her control. A deep frustration roiled within, making her feel sick. She had been in the beautiful country of Costa Luna for an entire day and all she had yet known was torment. Once, she had amused herself with visions of Rosie running with her along the coast during a lazy day at the beach and the enticing tan lines that would develop upon her gently toasted skin after laying in the sun together. Now, as over the past several hours, her head was filled with images Lake Monroe-her home-and the diamond like glitter of the setting sun sparkling off the water at dusk.

But how could it ever feel like home again? Home was supposed to be safe, and Kane had tainted everything she knew with blood and fire. Her one consolation was that through it all Orin had emerged like tempered steal, protecting her and Rosie. It terrified her to think such a thought, but she hoped Orin had dealt Kane the hand that would end the game for good. She wanted in her secret heart to know that the bastard was dead, because her secret heart had other, softer things with which to fill itself.

Rosie, Rosie-the name repeated over and over in Carter's head. Every look she'd ever seen upon the girl's face flashed through her mind at that moment. She had to see her, had to hold her and tell her everything was fine.

The waiting game seemed as though it would get the better of the young girl until at last the military men of Costa Luna found them and assured them that the palace was once again safe. The remainder of Kane's forces had thrown down their weapons and were being taken into custody.

"My Queen!" Alvarez nearly burst at the success of his mission. He bowed deeply until Sofia nearly had to command him to stand at ease.

"Your Majesty, you are injured. Me must get you out of here."

"I am fine, General Alvarez. Joe, you need a doctor," Sofia said, lifting Mason's chin with her fingers. He slowly reached up and took her slender hand into his own.

"I think we could all use a band-aid or two," Mason said, a slight grin on his bruised and bloodied face.

Alvarez stepped back and gestured with his hand. "We have medical officers from the nearest hospital waiting outside. Please, your majesty, follow me."

The radio on Alvarez's belt sputtered to life and tinny voices burst through the static in a garbled mess. The man clenched it in his fist and raised it to his face.

"What is it?" He growled into the speaker.

"Sir, I apologize. It's the princess…she's…"

Carter's face drew taught with fear. "What? What about Rosie?"

"She's here, sir. She was hiding in the Colonel's-"

Rosie's voice, barely audible, "I want to see my mother and the Mason's, now!"

"Rosie!" Carter yelled, a bright smile on her face as she took off running.

"Carter!" Mason called after the girl to no avail. She was gone as if carried on the wings of something much greater than herself.

Carter flew through the halls of the great palace, her soft brunette hair trailing behind her like a streamer as she ran. Though she had only been there for a short time, she followed her instincts like a seasoned hound after catching a scent. It was as if she was a guided missile locked on to a location she couldn't even see, but she knew exactly where the great front doors stood and what was just beyond them, and nothing was going to stand in her way.

* * *

Outside was pandemonium. Many men had been injured, and local forces had been drawn to the area. Police cars and ambulance trucks filled the front courtyard, their flashing lights creating a dizzying show of light and shadow.

"Princess, I am very sorry, but we must make absolutely sure that the palace is secure," the lone private explained to a restive Rosie, who looked to Colonel Campbell for aid.

"Colonel, please."

"Just give it time, Rosie. They'll be bringing them out any minute," the man told her, trying to hide the concern in his own voice. He'd lost contact with Orin just before the great jet took off from behind the palace and hadn't been able to contact him since. As much as he hated to admit it, there was always the possibility…however faint, that Kane could've gotten the best of Orin.

Filled with frustration, Rosie could do nothing but bite her lip and await amongst the flashing lights of the ambulances as men were carried, both dead and wounded, from the battlements of the palace. Dread filled her small heart at the sight of the destruction. How? How had this become her nation of beauty and peace? She couldn't stand to see such bloodshed, yet she had been forcefully confronted with it for days, and now would be for the rest of her life.

Turning to Campbell, she asked, "What shall I do once I take the throne? Look at this…this chaos. My nation is not made for this kind of violence. How can I ever protect my people?"

"Princess, as long as there have been bitter men trying to take over this world, there have been good people ready to step forward just as quickly to defend it. No matter what happens, remember that what you have is worth fighting for."

Rosie raised her head and looked toward the palace, her solemn gaze at once changing to one of almost euphoric elation. "Yes," she said, smiling, "yes it is."

Campbell followed her gaze to the young girl, Mason's daughter, as she exploded full speed out of the front doors of the palace and into the miasma of flashing lights.

For Rosie and Carter, the world could have been moving at light speed all around them. In fact, there may as well have not been a world at all as they ran to each other through a strange dark ether where they were the only two beings in existence. They hit like two comets colliding in space, an explosion of epic proportions between two heavenly bodies in that infinite expanse. Holding each other so close, they practically melded into one…one star, one heart, one spirit.

"Carter…I…I…" Rosie stuttered through her tears.

"Shh, I know. It's okay, Rosie. You don't have to be afraid anymore," Carter told her as she smoothed her hand over the girl's long, auburn locks. She wanted nothing more than to take her silken cheeks in both hands and kiss her like neither of them would ever forget, but Carter wasn't even one to hug in public, so as romantic a notion as it was, such a display would have to wait.

Mason and Sofia emerged as well in tatters and saw the girls in their eager embrace. A crossing of confused looks quickly became smiles and laughter.

"I did not know they had grown so close," Sofia said to Mason. "They are like sisters already."

"Funny, isn't it?" Mason asked. "The whole world is declaring war on itself and two kids can become best friends in just a few days."

Carter and Rosie finally loosed their vice-like grip on one another so that they could join their parents, hugging each one with intense ferocity.

"Mother, I can't believe you're all right. I was so worried. I thought that-"

Sofia held her daughter close, her truest fears only now abated. "I know, my dear. I know."

"Your majesty," Campbell said, stepping forward and removing his beret. He felt ridiculous standing before royalty, an old man as he was, in combat fatigues with his face painted black. "My name is Colonel Campbell. I work for the American government. I'm a military liaison for the company that protects royal heirs like your daughter."

"Sofia, Colonel Campbell is the reason for my job at the Protection Program." Mason told her.

The Queen nodded. "Yes, of course. Thank you so much for all of your assistance, Colonel."

Campbell nodded toward Alvarez as he joined them. "Your Brigadier General deserves much more praise than I do. His courage and patriotism are inspiring."

"Where was that talk during our last poker game, eh?" Alvarez laughed.

"General Alvarez, what happened to Kane?" Carter asked, stepping away from her father. "Is he…dead?"

Alvarez's face went instantly hard. He looked away quickly. "I am afraid he has eluded us once again. Due to our limited surveillance and inability to approach from behind the palace, we were unable to find and secure the craft in which he escaped. I am sorry, your majesty."

Sofia nodded, but the look of disappointment was clear upon her face. "You did what you could. I am very proud of you and your men."

"Orin didn't get him? What happened?"

Alvarez quickly became grim. "Captain Traverse-I-"

Carter and Rosie exchanged worried looks and moved closer together. Carter instinctively took Rosie's hand.

"What is it?" Asked Rosie. "Where is Orin, has he been hurt."

"He was stabbed," Carter explained. "I-I shouldn't have let him go. I didn't want him to. Where is he? Is he okay?"

Alvarez faltered at the look of concern on the girls' faces. "He…I'm sorry…the blood loss."

Carter covered her mouth in shock and spoke through shaking fingers. "No, no! I just saw him! There has to be a mistake."

As the girls began the slow burn into breakdown, Mason stepped forward, taking his daughter's shoulders. "General, sir, may I ask where his body is."

Alvarez nodded toward a coroner's van. "My men loaded him in a few minutes ago. I am very sorry."

"Dad," Carter said, looking up into her father's eyes, "we need to check, we have to make sure."

"Yes," Rosie agreed. "He has helped us survive all of this…I cannot believe he is dead."

Mason looked down in sadness, "Sweetie, I know you're upset. Sometimes, in battle…"

"No!" Carter said and broke off with Rosie, the two of them running full speed for the van.

"Rosalinda!" Sofia cried out, but Mason calmed her and the two of them followed.

The two young girls slowed as they reached the van, suddenly afraid of finding the terrible thing turning in their minds. The back doors were open, and inside rested a single body bag. There had been several more dead, enough to fill another van not too far away, and most of Kane's men had been treated slightly less honorably. Their bodies were filling a military truck beside the palace.

But Orin…Orin had gotten a place to himself.

You deserve more than that, Carter thought as she held close a crying Rosie. They did their best to console one another.

We almost made it, didn't we?

That's what he had said.

Mason and Sofia stood behind the girls, unable to offer any comfort other than their presence. Campbell stood off to the side with Alvarez, no emotion upon his face. That's what men like him did. Whether they were sad or mad or any old thing, they shoved it away in a deep pocket where it stayed, always with them but never seen. The old man could hardly believe the body inside could be Orin's.

Not before me, he thought. That's not how it's supposed to go.

"This isn't right," Carter said, her face a cold wall of anguish. "It can't end like this."

Mason, as delicately as he could, placed his arms on the girls' shoulders and steered them away from the van. "Come on," he said, softly. "Let's go."

* * *

He was floating somewhere far away, a wall of impenetrable darkness separating him from the rest of the universe. There was no air here, only cold emptiness. There was something he remembered faintly, a task…a mission…barely skirting the periphery of his will, as if he could reach out to grasp it only to have it seep between his fingers like oil.

His eyes were open but cloaked by that veil of tenebrous gravity. His body, stiff and unmoving in that oil, rebelled against his call to motion. It was so hard to breathe in the abyss, so hard to understand. Was this where he belonged? Yes, he knew. He was a creature of darkness. It filled him, ran through his veins like a drug, condensed and pure…a high that couldn't even match the lowest low.

The vague recollection of something he had to do was pressed further into him by the faraway voices. People he knew…giving up…and him, sinking deeper. What reason was there not to give up? It was so much easier to rest, so much better to disappear.

His body, what he could feel of it, slowly began to relax. He let his mind start to wander, let his thoughts grow fuzzy, then begin to fade. The ice was so cold he could barely feel it anymore…it felt right…it felt like he was finally home.

Then, a familiar voice. Someone special. And another. The voices grabbed hold of him and pulled him up, up, up toward the surface of that inky blackness. Beckoning, calling. He couldn't go yet, they wouldn't let him.

He tried to resist, fighting the urge to move, and found his body filled with pain. Fingers clenching in the black, reaching for something, a remnant of his old self…a weapon. Suddenly, he was suffocating, unable to draw in air. The darkness clung to him like plastic wrap, he had to escape. And there, in that stifling darkness where he lived and fought, he wrapped his hand around the key, and heard the distinctive click of the lock.

* * *

"Wait," Carter said, stopping, "did you hear that?"

"What?" Rosie asked.

"I heard it, too." Mason confirmed and they turned slowly to find themselves confronted with the living dead.

The girls nearly screamed when the saw movement in the back of the van. They ran forward as something poked through the thick plastic of the body bag. It ran down half the length of the container, parallel to the zipper.

At once Orin burst through, bloody and gasping for breath, a small folding knife in his hand. Eyes sunken in a face that was iridescent white, as if he was made of porcelain.

"Jesus!" He exclaimed. "Who the hell put me in here?"

Like frightened bunnies, the girls jumped into the van.

"Don't hug me, don't hug me!" Orin warned, but the girls still wrapped their arms around him, setting every nerve ending awash in a new wave of pain. He grunted, "Easy! Damaged goods."

Mason took off to get the paramedics while the girls sat back in awe, their eyes frantic with the motion of a shivering sheen of tears. Campbell grinned and pinched the bridge of his nose quickly, secretly pulling away the first hints of moisture coming from his eyes.

"Orin, oh my God!" Carter said.

Rosie followed, "We thought you were dead."

He tried to sit up but found his body was as stiff as old lumber. "I'm not so sure I'm not," he cracked, "I feel terrible." Then he nodded toward Sofia, "Your majesty."

"Captain," the queen bowed her head in return. "I can never repay you for your sacrifice for our lives and the life of my daughter."

"I didn't get Kane."

"That doesn't matter now," Rosie comforted.

Orin looked into her eyes and then just as quickly looked away. In his mind he was thinking-oh, but it does matter. Then the girls hugged him hard enough to hurt again, smoothing out his rough edges.

Mason returned with two paramedics, and a gurney. "All right, girls, come on." He said. "We've got to get him out of there."

Orin was sure they were going to finish him off, how they manhandled him out of the van and onto the contraption. "Let me go," he said, "I can walk, damn it!"

"This is…impossible," Alvarez said, a look of stunned confusion upon his face. "I saw his body. He was as cold as stone."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Campbell said, then nodded to Orin. "Good to have you back, kid."

"Wait to you get my bill, old man," Orin retorted, growling in pain when they stuck an IV needle into his arm.

"He may need a transfusion," one of the paramedics told them. "He's lost a great deal of blood."

"Hell, I'll run on empty if I have to. Kane's still out there."

"Not now, Orin," commanded Campbell.

Traverse looked to the girls as they stood there, hand in hand. He'd done the most important thing-he'd kept them safe. Not because he had to, not because he was paid to, not because it was his mission…but because he wanted to. He cared for them. He didn't like the feeling, but there it was. And now he would have to get the hell out of their lives, for his sake and their own.

Campbell was shaking Mason's hand. "Glad to see you safe, Major."

"I'm glad to see everybody safe, sir."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you get a nice bonus for this. Think of it as hazard pay."

"Thank you, sir."

"Listen, it's time for us to rebuild. The Protection Program took a hit, and Kane has information on the locations of everyone we have in hiding. I don't need to tell you how bad this could be, Major."

"No sir, but I'm not a soldier anymore. My rank is strictly incorporated with my work at the agency."

"I know. I'm not talking about field work. I'm talking about a promotion. I need to get our operation up and running again as soon as possible, and I'm going to need a director."

"A director? That's quite a promotion."

We could set up a headquarters at Lake Monroe, maybe one here as well, in case you ever want to visit."

Carter looked at her dad. "Oh yeah," she said, "about that. The house got kind of…you know…shot up and bombed the other night. It might take some time before we're ready to move back in."

"But of course you're welcome to stay here for as long as you like. Right, Mom?" Rosie asked.

"Of course, Major. You and your daughter are always welcome here."

Mason looked at Campbell. "That's a lot to process. I've got a home to rebuild, and a daughter I need to be with."

Campbell nodded, "Take some time to think it over, we'll talk in a few days."

And so there it was. It was finally over. Rosie was safe, home in her country, reunited with her mother. The bonus was Carter and her father, and the terrible thrill of being back. The only thing left to wonder about was what came next? What could he do now? Would he go back to his apartment and his booze and his hatred of everything? There were to many questions he didn't want to face.

"You should go to the hospital too, Joseph." Sofia said, cringing at Mason's swollen face.

"Yeah, I suppose I should. Carter, you should stay here."

Rosie's eyes widened.

"B-but, Dad-"

"Listen, you need to get some rest, and you're not going to get that in some hard chair at the hospital. Stay here, I'll be back in a few hours or by morning, whenever they clear me. We'll go back tomorrow to check on Orin."

"Don't worry about me, Major. There's a man upstairs, unconscious. One of Kane's men. I don't know if he's still alive, I gave him a dose of morphine, but he told me where to find you guys. I told him I would put in a good word for him if he lived."

"I'll tell Alvarez," Mason assured.

Orin craned his neck toward the girls. "Carter, Rosie…" he stopped suddenly, unsure of what to say. What could he say? Tell them he cared about them? No.

"Take care," he finally said, swallowing back that hard pain that stuck in his throat.

"Orin…" Rosie said, "we will see you tomorrow. You can stay with us as well until you are better."

"Yeah," Carter nodded, "you're part of our family now."

Orin just gave a sad half-grin and said, "Sure, kid."

Rosie then turned to Carter and took both of her hands. "Come on, Carter. We need to get cleaned up. You can stay in my room tonight."

Carter's heart fluttered like a hummingbird in her chest. Her throat went dry and she could only eek out the words, "Yes, princess."

Orin, catching the inflection of innocent teenage girl chatter, let his head fall back and said, "Get me the hell outta here."

He took one last gaze at the vibrant night sky overhead before they slid him into the ambulance and closed the doors. For the first moment he was alone he closed his eyes to the pain but couldn't wish it away from within. A single tear rolled down his face onto his pillow, and dried by the time and paramedic began his painkiller. He turned his face away and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**Note: Sorry if this chapter seemed to drag a bit. I really wanted to get as much wrapped up as I could. It's not over quite yet, though. I've got at least one more chapter before we say goodbye to this adventure. I'll save my final thanks for then, but I still want to say how much I appreciate everyone sticking with me through this story.**

**For my grandfather, whom we laid to rest today, Tuesday, August 2, 2011. To know I will never hear your voice again fills me with a sadness I can't describe. I love you dearly, as do we all. Wherever you are, know that I will not forget, and I hope the measure of your peace is greater than the stars in the sky. We miss you already.**


	19. Chapter 19: New Beginning

Chapter 19

It would take days to recover and weeks to forget. Reconnecting a life torn asunder was a feat easier said than done. There would be nightmares, sadness, anger, and the unnamable sense of violation and vulnerability. There would be turbulence and strife but from it they would all emerge with a stronger sense of life and freedom than ever before.

First up to bat was the sense of loss and confusion when they awoke two days later to news that Orin had checked himself out of the hospital. The only thing left behind was a note asking that they not be angry with him, and that they might see him again in time. Mason could only attempt to quell the feelings of betrayal in the girls by explaining to them that it was all a part of the workings of a person like Orin. People who lived in shadows, on the run, doing things that didn't get written down. He assured them that all would be fine…and in the end, that had to be enough.

Mason decided to take the job as new Director of the Protection Program-for the time being, at least. During their recuperation, the tentative attraction between him and Sofia grew. As she would no longer be acting Queen of Costa Luna, Mason invited her to see Lake Monroe as soon as their house was restored. She accepted with the reddish tint of schoolgirl giddiness in her cheeks.

Carter decided that she would return to Costa Luna as soon as school was out to spend the summer at the palace, with Rosie. Things were still slow and gentle between them, but with each hour their fondness and thirst for one another grew. They decided it best to keep their feelings private. For however long, they did not know, they only knew that they could hardly stand to be apart.

Carter slowly realized the truth of her worth. There was a part of her that would always be the humble bait girl from Lake Monroe Louisiana, but another part was awakening to the fact that she had the desire to be so much more, for herself and for the people she loved.

When they returned home, they found that a crew had already been hired to repair their home. A note from Orin was delivered to them thanking them for taking him in and enclosed was a check to cover the cost of the repairs.

There was no return address.

For Rosie, her maturation and awakening to the true nature of the world came at the price of innocence. She had lived in ignorant bliss for most of her life, and that wall of protection was now shattered all around her, leaving her to step carefully over the broken shards as she made her way forward. But she was stronger and braver now, ready to lead her country with every bit of gentle compassion in her heart while understanding the need for great strength. She was painfully aware that there would be trying times ahead, but she faith that, no matter what, they would emerge from the darkness.

She tried for days to find Orin, even going so far as to call Colonel Campbell personally.

"Princess, it's good to hear your voice again. I just received my invitation to your coronation in a few days. I'm very much looking forward to it."

"Thank you very much, Colonel. I look forward to seeing you here."

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call? Everything is all right, I hope."

"Everything is fine. I just…"

"Orin–" Campbell finished her thought.

"Yes. Do you know where he is? We are all very worried about him."

"He's fine. He just needs time to recuperate. I wish I could tell you more, but I can't."

"Why did he leave like that? He didn't even say goodbye."

"Orin really isn't that type. Guys like him don't like emotions. They don't really know what to do with them. They usually don't believe they're needed unless there's a mission to complete."

"But we do need him," she pressed.

"I'm sorry, Princess. I understand what you went through, but there's nothing you could say to him to make him stick around, nothing that could make things any better. But I can tell you for a fact that he cares about all of you, and that you're in his thoughts."

"If you talk to him…please tell him we would love for him to be at the coronation…I would like for him to be there."

"I'll be sure to do that. If I talk to him. Who knows? You might just get your wish. One thing I can guarantee-he's watching out for you even as we speak."

* * *

The coronation was accelerated to a few days later. After such a massive breach it was imperative to restore confidence and pride in their country. The celebration was in full swing from shore to shore as the people of Costa Luna ushered in a new era of royalty. Not since the crowning in faraway Genovia had a people known a ruler so young and fair.

The streets were awash with revelers shouting jubilations from one end of the small island nation to the other. Multicolored bits of confetti drifted about like snow and long streamers whipped through the air upon every rooftop, cracking their tails in the wind.

Meanwhile, at the palace, Rosie gazed through her double doors once again at the beautiful Costa Lunian landscape, this time with Carter at her side. Both were dressed in regal silk dresses, destined to capture and break many hearts that day and days after. But only two hearts existed in that space, both aflutter with excitement and urgency.

"I am nervous, Carter."

The black haired girl reached up and placed her hand upon the Rosie's shoulder. "Don't be," she said, smiling. "Everything is going to be fine. We just have to remember to…breathe."

Rosie and Carter closed their eyes momentarily as a light breeze blew in form the balcony, the cool air kissing their skin tight.

Carter ran her hand along Rosie's arm and stared at her beauty. Everything that had happened was so hard to believe. After all the pain, Carter almost had an easier time believing in the bad than the good. It wasn't that she'd been alone so much, or that she'd been attacked and her home destroyed, or even that she'd been abducted and nearly killed. It was that she was alive and safe, and in the presence of the most divine girl she'd ever known. Even the hot touch of Chelsea's lips could never equal that of her Princess Rosie.

Rosie turned and looked deep into Carter's eyes. Carter-not the bait girl, not the fiery young girl who'd fought with her at first, but the lovely and trusted friend she'd finally found after so very long. "How did I end up with an angel like you?" She asked.

Carter, like always, was taken aback by the honest gaze in Rosie's eyes, the simple yet elegant curvature of her cheeks and lips. "Maybe," she whispered, "we were sent to save each other."

Leaning in, slowly, as if through invisible liquid, they kissed. Gentle but as deep as the passion they felt for one another. It lingered in the moment like a taste of pure honey as they drank each other in.

A knock on the door. "Princess."

They jumped back from one another, hands instinctively reaching to cover their mouths. A flush of redness colored their cheeks as they looked at each other and laughed.

"You may enter," Rosie called after regaining her composure.

One of her maids opened the door and informed her that the procession would be starting very shortly.

"Thank you, Lupe. We will be right down."

Lupe left and the girls finished their preparations and headed for the door.

"Carter," Rosie stopped, "I'm still scared. What if something happens?"

"Nothing is going to happen."

"We can't know that for sure. What if someone comes for us again?"

A third voice, "Then they'll have to go through me, and I'd take on the whole world for the two of you.."

Their mouths dropped open in shock before they even turned their heads to the doorway. He didn't even see their feet move as they sped across the floor and dove for him with open arms.

"Whoa!" Orin exclaimed as he struggled to keep them all upright. Their arms entangled him like a web, squeezing so hard he felt blood rush to his head.

"Okay, we need to talk about how you express affection," he told them.

They took a step back and their tearful expressions just as quickly turned to anger.

"What?" He asked.

"You asshole!" Carter yelled. "I should punch your lights out."

"Then I should have you thrown into the stables," Rosie added.

"What did I do?" He held up his hands defensively.

Carter started forward. "What did you do? You know exactly what you did!"

"Yeah," Orin admitted, lowering his head slightly, "I do. I'm sorry."

"Why?" Rosie pressed. "Why did you run away? Why didn't you even return here?"

"Because I couldn't. It was bad for me. I was in survival mode. I had to run, that's what I do. It can't be explained any better than that. I know you don't understand it, but know that I was thinking about you guys, and I made sure that Campbell watched out for all of you. Did you get my gift, Carter?"

"Yeah, we got it. But you shouldn't have done that."

"Yes, I did. You took me into your home, and I couldn't keep those bastards from wrecking it."

"You have a home here, too," said Rosie.

"I know, Rosie. I know, and I'm sorry. I should have come back."

"Well," Carter sniffled, "at least you're back now."

"Yes, I am. I'm here to watch Princess Rosie become the finest ruler this country has ever known. Come on, let's go."

* * *

An hour later, Rosalinda Maria Montoya Fiore-Queen of Costa Luna-walked down the red carpet from the alter with the crown of her country and its people securely upon her head. The courtyard was filled with cheers of exaltation. Brigadier General Alvarez was in attendance, he eyes awash in tears for his knew queen.

From the shadows of the upper balcony, Orin watched with something akin to happiness as Rosie and Carter both smiled and laughed below, surrounded by adoring subjects and the people they loved. He did not want to soil the reunion by telling them that he would be leaving that night.

He knew he had no place in their lives now.

"Good to see you again, Captain," Major Mason greeted as he and Colonel Campbell approached.

"You too, Major. Glad you're all right."

"Yeah, I've gotten a bit of color on the island, though it's a little more color than I was hoping for," Mason joked, referring to the dark bruises still painted on his face.

"Tell me about it. I lost some color myself, as in almost all of it."

"That was a pretty stupid stunt you pulled."

"It was, but I don't regret a second of it. Carter looks good."

"Yes. She's great…because of you."

"Major-"

"No, don't," Mason said, his voice cracking slightly under the weight of emotion. "You saved my daughter's life so many times, and I…I can't ever thank you enough or repay you for that. I've never had the honor of serving with anyone greater than you, Orin, and if you ever need anything at all, I want you to get in contact with me, okay?"

"Will do, Major. You're a great man and a great friend. We'll see each other again. And good luck with everything."

"Thank you." Mason said and returned to the celebration.

"So, Orin," Campbell said, leaning against the wall beside Traverse, "what now?"

"Vacation?"

Campbell grinned, "I think you've had enough time off."

"You've got something in mind, I'm sure."

"Well, Kane did get access to an entire database of hidden royalty. We have no idea how much he knows or how much he's already sold to the highest bidder."

"True, but I wouldn't worry about him right now. I'm not a part of the babysitter's club, Colonel, but if it ever comes up that one of these girls is in trouble…maybe I'll offer some help."

"Fair enough. You know it's a shame you don't want to come on board because there's a very wealthy heiress, a Princess Mia Renaldo of Genovia, that could use some major security."

"Let it go." Orin told him. "All right, all right. In the meantime, I've got plenty of operations lined up that I could use some help with."

"Colonel, did you see me re-enlist anywhere?"

"Did I say operations? I meant jobs. Rather high paying contracts, really."

Orin cocked his head, "I'm listening."

"Ever heard of London Tipton?"

"Daughter of the tycoon? Heiress to the Tipton business empire?"

"That's her."

"Not a lot, just what I've seen in the papers. Another ditzy socialite." He narrowed his eyes at Campbell and asked, "Why?"

"Her father's gone into hiding, thinks a few of his unscrupulous business partners might be after her to get to him."

"What do you care? It's not military, she's not royalty. You in the bodyguard racket now, Colonel."

"Her father happens to be a major defense contractor and contributor. His companies gets hundreds of millions of our budget every year. Lots of connections in Washington. And he's offered quite a monetary investment incentive for our help."

"I'm not looking to watch after some media starlet while she tries to cut her first record or some crap. This all turned out okay, but…"

"Look, you said you're not ready to get back in the game. I'll accept that, for now, but you've got to do something. You're not going back to where you were before, I won't let you. Besides, bodyguard work seems to agree with you."

"The pay better be damn good."

"Double what you got for this."

Orin's eyebrows touched the roof, "Double?"

"Plus bonus pay, hazard pay, and expenses."

"And I just have to what? Watch out for her? Keep her hidden?"

"Pretty much. Right now she's living at the Tipton Hotel in Boston, but we're about to relocate her onto the S.S. Tipton, her father's first luxury cruise liner. She'll go to school there, blend in with the other people that live aboard."

"A constantly moving target," Orin nodded. "Smart, but risky. If somebody gets a bead on her they can hit it and there won't be anywhere to run."

"That's why she needs the best protection she can get. Come on, Orin. You don't have to be there long, just enough time for us to find out who's been threatening Tipton. A few weeks on a cruise ship isn't such a bad deal if you ask me. Cushy living, attractive women."

Orin sighed. "You know it's not my element, but that's a pretty big paycheck."

"So you'll do it?" Campbell asked, expectantly.

Orin looked down again at Rosie and Carter as they danced below. He hadn't expected that he would feel so good for protecting innocence. It wasn't the dirty work he'd always forced himself to do. Maybe there was still hope in helping good people. Maybe…

He shifted his gaze to Campbell. "Why not?"

"Good. I'll arrange everything. You can leave tonight. I-"

"No."

"No?"

"You know what I've got to do first. It'll take at least thirty-six hours. If I survive, I'll be in Boston by the end of the week."

"Orin, this is stupid. You need to let this go, we can get it done another way."

"No. They're safe…for now, and I'm going to make sure they stay that way. I'm their insurance policy, and it's time to cash in."

Campbell sighed, fully aware he would never be able to dissuade Orin from his self-appointed task. "Okay, Captain. I'll make arrangements for you to head out tonight. You'll go in low and quiet, parachute in after nightfall. But I don't have to tell you that you might not make it out alive."

"You're right, you don't have to tell me."

"Orin, why are you really doing this? I had to beg you to take this job, why are you so hell bent on this now? Do you really care for those girls that much?"

Traverse's face revealed nothing of whatever emotions he was concealing inside. He merely said, "Tonight," and walked away without looking back.

* * *

The country was largely a wasteland. The azure blue skies of Costa Luna gave way quickly to a sunless, overcast pallor that covered the endless gray oil fields where slave laborers toiled day and night beneath angry swollen thunderheads. Beyond the perpetual motion of giant iron derricks there lied acres upon acres of harsh land devoted to growing opium and coca plant for the refineries that ran day and night creating the country's chief exports. Rebel forces rose and fell every day under the mindlessly vicious rule of General Magnus Kane. In the streets of the largest city, bags of rice were sold at eight dollars a pound in a country where most workers were lucky to make fifty cents an hour. All commerce was controlled by Kane's merchants and to defy his pricing was to be shot dead or brutally beaten in the street for stealing. It was a nation in chaos.

But the jungle was the same as it had always been. Hot madness clung to every inch of his body as he crawled for hours through the heavy growth, inching his way ever closer to the place he'd marked on the hillside. Just over twelve hundred yards to Kane's compound, and the spot from which he would end a war that had not yet begun.

His weapon–the .408 Cheytec high performance round. Its sheath-the Intervention, model M200. He wanted to use a knife, to get in close and collect his payment in blood, but Kane's security had been raised to near astronomical levels in the days following his return.

Sunlight filtered in through the dense green canopy overhead as he lay waiting on the jungle floor. With rifle in hand he had crawled-inch by inch-closer to his target for nearly half a day. The fluids of his body mingled and mixed like a seasoned stew against his skin as his sweat pooled under him. Job or no job, with honor or without, the jungle could drive anyone insane.

But not today.

He came to the steep hillside facing the west, perfect line of sight to most of Kane's compound. He set up upon a fallen tree trunk, pulling the legs of the bipod down one at a time and making sure that they were firmly set.

As he brought his eye to the expensive Leupold scope the dozens of specks in the distance popped into focus as if they were mere feet away. He calculated the distance, adjusted for elevation and wind speed. It was a calm day, they air as thick and still as congealing blood.

There-sitting at a table before a lavish pool. The General was enjoying his afternoon tea, a pair of sunglasses adorning his otherwise smiling face.

It was time.

* * *

"That pitiful country isn't even worth my time, Uri." Kane laughed into the cellular phone at his ear. Long distance call, one of his long time friends from the former Soviet Republic. Uri Gregarov, arms dealer, human trafficker, terrorist, and all around opportunist.

"I must say, however, that the women were simply top notch. I was hoping to at least come away with a few more brides, but I have bigger fish to fry. In fact, speaking of lovely women, I have something you may find very interesting. Some information I've come upon recently. The locations of the children of some of the world's wealthiest royal families. Think of it, Uri! The chaos we could create. Any one of them would be worth quite a ransom, don't you think?"

Kane's phoned beeped. He failed to recognize the number when he lowered it from his head and looked at the screen.

"Uri. I have another call. I'll talk to you later, yes? We'll discuss how much this information might be worth to you. Yes, tell your friends, the more the merrier." He ended the call with Uri and changed lines. "Hello?"

"You didn't say good-bye, Kane. I have to say I felt a little let down. That was the best fight I'd had in years, I was sad that you had to run."

"You're alive," Kane said, rising from his seat and walking toward the crystalline swimming pool. "Such a shame. The thought of you dying in a sea of blood has kept a smile on my face for days."

"Aw, Kane, don't say that. Not after all we've been through."

"You are filthy American vermin."

"Are you still upset that I ruined your wedding night? I'm sorry, but I just don't think she was right for you."

"You know I will find you, Captain Traverse. And I will find your two little bitches again, as well. I can no longer offer you the convenience of a quick death. I will make you watch as I defile and eviscerate them both…then you will follow."

"Let's not talk about them right now. Let's talk about us. We've got unfinished business, you and me."

"I couldn't agree more. Why don't you come see my country sometime. I would be happy to give you a tour, the longest of your life."

"Thanks, but I've already seen quite enough. I mean, there's only so much slave labor and so many coca fields a guy can take before it just loses its thrill, you know what I mean?"

Kane's body suddenly tightened. He reached up and removed his sunglasses. Slowly, like a predator on the verge of becoming prey, his eyes scanned the jungle surrounding his compound.

"You lie."

"I'd never lie to you, Kane. I figured you'd be dying to get back at me for ruining your plans in Costa Luna, so I decided to bring the fight to you."

"Then why don't you come to my compound. We can settle this like men. What do you say?"

"Wish I could take you up on that offer, and any other day I might have done just that. But…I guess I found some things that are worth living for."

Kane bellowed insidious laughter. "You haven't the guts to meet me face to face," he growled.

"Enough bullshit. You know why I'm here. You messed with the wrong people, and I'm going to make sure you never mess with anyone again."

Kane, red faced and huffing, snapped. "You are a coward! If you were anywhere near the borders of my country, I assure you I would know about it. You are nothing! I will dedicate every ounce of my energy to making sure that your trip to hell is paved in agony. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal. Now allow me to make myself clear."

In the jungle, Orin used a small radio detonator to trigger the satchels of C4 he'd placed in the sheds of an opium field no too far from Kane's compound. The sheds contained thousands of pounds of refined product ready to be shipped. In an instant they went up in flames.

Kane's jaw nearly fell off when he saw the half a dozen fireballs light up the fields to the east. Partially in surprise that he'd just lost millions of dollars worth of cocaine and opium, but even more surprised that Orin's threats were real.

"Im…impossible…" He croaked, only barely able to hear Orin's final words through the phone.

"You know the best part about seeing the look on your face, Kane? I never have to see it again. Adios, motherfucker."

No wind. Silent. Calm.

A tight squeeze of the trigger, no creep. Clean break.

A center mass shot at thirteen hundred yards with a heavy grain bullet.

Perfect.

With the final masterstroke, it was done, the canvas completed with the splash of Kane's entrails upon the corrupted ground.

After the initial freeze of shock, his troops went berserk. Air support would scramble soon. They'd tear the country apart looking for him. Time to move.

He packed up and radioed for evac. Airspace would be hot, evac point was miles away. Dangerous.

He grinned.

Taking one last longing look at the half dead sky, he thought back when it all started, the events of the past weeks replaying in his head like a cinema. The old man he'd hated for so long until he realized how much of a father he'd been, the two innocent girls he'd grown to care for more than he ever thought. Mason, the friend he never thought he'd see again.

Carter. Rosie.

This is for you-all of you.

And with that thought, Orin Traverse turned and disappeared into the jungle.

* * *

**Well, that's it guys! Phew! I can't believe I've been working on this story for so long. Writing doesn't come easy for me, but you guys really make it worthwhile. I had all but given up there several times when your kind and encouraging words pulled me through and I hope I'm a better writer because of it. I want to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for reading any part of this story. Even if you didn't like it. Heck, even if you hated it. I've relied on your comments and reviews to keep myself going and I made it through. I can never thank you enough. I hope you've enjoyed the story as much as it's driven me crazy writing it.**

**For the time being. I have a few other projects to work on that I hope to find a publisher for one day. Some of them are posted and some yet to be posted. Most of my original stories are on my profile right now, and I hope to add more in the future as well as adding more to my Lulu storefront. I've also got a couple other fanfic ideas I'm bouncing around right now. One of them I'm sure you guys will get a kick out of.**

**I want to thank as many of you individually as I can.**

**AuthorOfTheDark**

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**I hope I didn't miss too many people. I had to copy my list of story alert subscribers and those who commented. I have to give extra special thanks to a few of you, though, namely AuthorOfTheDark and Nur S'ba. You guys were so consistent and detailed in your comments and it was truly a pleasure to hear from you after each update. You guys were my pillar of strength along with Milli2011, Dhinheart, Evangeline Vera, and WolfGurl211. I can't tell you all how much I've appreciated your support. Again, if I missed anybody I'm deeply sorry.**

**I know that a lot of you like to read at long stretches and I'm sure a few of you have an e-reader of some sort, so I've put The Program all together into novel format and converted it to simple PDF form. I've loaded it up at this address:**

**wupload. com/file/115879329**

**Just scroll to the bottom and click slow download, you only have to wait about twenty seconds. I'm going to try to put some more works up this way on my profile soon.**

**Well, what else is there I can say? My best regards to all of you, I wish you the best of luck in all of your endeavors. Until next time.**


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